picked one's battles
Selected which fights
To pick one's battles is to choose which conflicts or issues are worth engaging with, letting less important matters go.
The phrase acknowledges limited time and energy: She learned to pick her battles with her teenage son.
Often appears as advice: You can't fight everything—pick your battles.
- trade-offsSacrifices for gains
- not worth itEffort exceeds reward
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- prioritizationRanking by importance
- bigger pictureOverall perspective on something
self-awareness · compromise · diplomacy · opportunity cost · long game · risk assessment · de-escalation · goal-setting · patience · foresight · self-regulation · cool your jets · letting go · walk away · discretion · sweat the small stuff · dispute resolution · tactical planning
picked one's battlescombative
Inclined toward conflict
belligerent · rolled over · pugnacious · contentious · quarrelsome
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