pick your battles
Select your fights
Pick your battles means to choose which conflicts are worth engaging in and which to let go.
The phrase acknowledges that fighting every disagreement wastes energy and goodwill—some issues matter more than others.
I decided not to argue about the font choice; you have to pick your battles.
Often used as advice to someone who seems ready to fight over something trivial.
- prioritizeRank by importance
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
- bigger pictureOverall perspective on something
- compromiseAgreement through mutual sacrifice
- wisdomGood judgment from experience
restraint · choose · conflict · confrontation · argue · fight · stand your ground · patience · timing · walk away · war · struggle · lost cause · surrender · negotiate · energy · worth · letting go
- life advicebe honest, be kind, be patient, work hard, be yourself
- conflictclash, fight, war, dispute, feud
- life lessonslesson learned, moral, lessons learned, life lessons, parable
- patience phraseswait, hold on, just a minute, one moment, one second
pick your battlessweat the small stuff
Worry about trivial matters
tilt at windmills · fight fire with fire · take the bait · nitpick · micromanage
pick your battlesroll over
Rotate one's body
conflict avoidance · turn the other cheek · go along to get along
pick your battlestake no prisoners
Pursue victory without mercy
fight the good fight · all or nothing · zero tolerance · absolutism
pick, picks, picked, picking, picker, pickers, picky, pickiness, battle