The Fox and the Hedgehog
“The fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”
Aesop's Fables
Illustration from "Aesop's Fables" by Milo Winter (1919)
Hedgehogs believe in Big Ideas—governing principles about the world that behave as though they were physical laws and influence virtually every interaction in society.
Foxes believe in a plethora of little ideas and in taking a multitude of approaches toward a problem. They tend to weigh uncertainty, complexity, and opinions of those they trust before taking action.
Art by Renee Klahr, 2014