Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket.

What it means

Twain flips the usual advice: spreading yourself thin also spreads your attention thin. Commit to one thing and guard it closely. Focus beats scatter.

The source

"Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket." Mark Twain said it in Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), ch. 15, Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar. Written in English: Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894.

"Put all your eggs in the one basket and--watch that basket"

Original English (Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894), Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), ch. 15, Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Mark Twain (1835–1910). American humorist and novelist. His sharpest one-liners appear as Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar in Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) and Following the Equator (1897).

Questions

What does "Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket." mean?

Twain flips the usual advice: spreading yourself thin also spreads your attention thin. Commit to one thing and guard it closely. Focus beats scatter.

Who said "Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket."?

Mark Twain (1835–1910). Source: Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), ch. 15, Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar.

What is the original wording?

Put all your eggs in the one basket and--watch that basket (Original English (Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894)). Written in English: Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894.

Is "Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket." (Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), ch. 15, Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar, trans. Original English (Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/put-all-your-eggs-in-one-basket-then