Learn English – Idiom request for describing a situation in which people pay attention to their minor problems rather than the fundamental related ones

idiom-request

I'm looking for an idiom, proverb or saying that can be used for describing a situation that someone focus on the minor problems in their life rather than the basic problems that have caused those minor ones.
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When somebody acts like this, we Iranians would say in Persian:

"This person is like someone who has lost his horse and is looking for its horseshoes!" (= he has forgotten about "the lost horse" as his main problem, while he knows as long as he doesn't find the horse, the horseshoes will be useless!)

How do you describe this situation in English? Is there any idiom equivalent to that Persian proverb?

I have found "put the cart before the horse", can I use it for describing people who act like this?

Best Answer

You may say: Not see the forest for the trees.

  • to pay too much attention to details and not understand the general situation not see the wood for the trees

    • Company officials were so involved in the talks, they couldn't see the forest for the trees and didn't realize their employees were willing to strike.

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