see the trees through the forest

English

Etymology

Inversion of see the forest through the trees.

Verb

see the trees through the forest (third-person singular simple present sees the trees through the forest, present participle seeing the trees through the forest, simple past saw the trees through the forest, past participle seen the trees through the forest)

1. (idiomatic) To appreciate the details of something, as opposed to only focusing on the big picture.

   Antonym: see the forest for the trees

   • 1953, Gordon Canfield (quoted), Treasury-Post Office Departments Appropriations for 1954, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 741:

     They naturally become very close to the personnel, supervisory and otherwise, and also the areas that they have to inspect, and sometimes I think they are unable to see the trees through the forest or the forest through the trees.

   • 1984, Robert Bruck (quoted), Effects of Air Pollution and Acid Rain on Forest Decline, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 43:

     However, very often it is difficult to see the trees through the forest, if I may make a pun.

   • 2006 April 21, Richard J. Morris, Disability Research and Policy: Current Perspectives, Routledge, →ISBN, page 99:

     To summarize, in a reductionistic orientation the practitioner cannot "see the forest through the trees"; and in a holistic orientation the practitioner may fail to "see the trees through the forest." Either orientation is not complete in itself, and there is no philosophical basis that is superior to another.

   • 2016 12, Julia Kuo, Michael Wojtech, Drawing Trees and Leaves: Observing and Sketching the Natural World, →ISBN, page 46:

     With a little understanding of the structure of bark, and the vital functions it serves, its details come alive, providing both a means to see the trees through the forest and a bounty of colors and textures to enjoy.