First Investigation – The Saying Is True, But Incomplete
If there is such a thing as “you can't see the forest for the trees” then there must also be such a thing as “you can't see the trees for the forest.” In other words, I also can't see the details because of the larger picture. If the larger picture, prevents me from seeing what makes up the larger picture, then I will likely encounter things and not be able to break it down into its components or its multiple levels of causes and effects.For example, all I know is that, I'm sick, and then not be able to figure out why. On the other hand there are people who know they have symptoms but don't add them up to equate with being sick. So both sides of the saying go together. If you can't see the big picture because of the smaller picture, then also there are instances where you can't see the smaller picture because of the bigger picture.
Second Investigation – The Saying Is False
If a person could not see the forest for the trees, then neither would the person be able to see the tree for the branches, bushes or vines.Third Investigation – The Saying Ricochets
The very people who say to someone, you can't see the forest for the trees, are the same people who can't see the forest for the houses.All of us live in a forest but do not perceive the forest because most of the trees have been removed. We live and sleep in a forest, but call it something else. Thus we can't see the forest because of our context, definitions and meanings. Thus we can see the forest for the treason of our reason-ing.
More Accurate Meaning Of The Saying
Here's the actual meaning of “you can't see the forest for the trees.”I have reached the expansion limit of my perspective. The trees are the biggest picture I understand. The knowledge I possess is not being nurtured to the point of growing and producing seeds and producing more knowledge, thus I am not maturing except towards old age and extinction.
Re-expanding
So another way to look at the saying, you can't see the forest for the trees, is that it means because you are used to seeing something, or others, or yourself, one way, then you are unable to see something another way. Or unable to see others another way. Or unable to see yourself another way. Thus one possibility prevents another possibility.One piece of knowledge or information gets in the way of more.
One ability gets in the way of another.
One manifestation dominates another.
And so on.
