People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely because chickens run about so absurdly that it's impossible to count them accurately.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Counting chickens before they hatch is unwise because they move unpredictably, making accurate counting impossible.
- In plain terms
- You can’t reliably count something that’s constantly moving.
- What can you take from it?
- Don’t make assumptions about outcomes before they happen.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What risks do you take by assuming outcomes?
- How can you mitigate premature conclusions?
Another view
Sometimes you must estimate despite uncertainty.
More from Oscar Wilde
I summed up all systems in a phrase, and all existence in an epigram.
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