phrase
also: Classic Literature
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
Spread risk across multiple options — the proverb every financial advisor turns into a diversification slide.
Origin
Recorded in English by 1662 in Torriano's collection of Italian proverbs and made famous by Cervantes' Sancho Panza in *Don Quixote* (1605–15): ''Tis the part of a wise man... not to venture all his eggs in one basket.' The image is so concrete it survived translation across every European language.
Modern usage
The everyday name for diversification. Quoted at investors picking single stocks, founders relying on one customer, job seekers applying to one company, and Olympic athletes specializing too narrowly. Pairs with [[a-bird-in-the-hand-is-worth-two-in-the-bush]] in the canonical 'don't be reckless' proverb pack.
Tags
risk
diversification
proverb