If you want to develop maximum credibility (可信性), is it better to be a hedgehog (刺猬) or a fox? According to Isaiah Berlin, the hedgehog knows one thing very well, and the fox knows a lot of things.

Is there a clear advantage of one style over the other? Hedgehog thinkers tend to answer yes. ___1___ And they are usually very credible in doing so. According to Jim Hart, the “hedgehog concept” is one of the factors that lead companies to greatness. They focus on one thing and do it really well. They figure out what they are good at. ___2___ The hedgehog concept makes perfect sense for companies.

___3___ Philip Tate has studied the track records of those folks on the Sunday talk shows who make predictions about what will happen. He has found that hedgehogs are not only wrong more often than foxes, but that they are less likely to recognise or admit that they are wrong when events do not match their predictions.

The advantage that foxes have is that they are more likely to seek out new information from a broader range of sources, and are comfortable with uncertainty and new information. ___4___ They try to include it in their viewpoint rather than to exclude it from their thinking. They also have a clearer estimation of what they know and don’t know.

So, which is better? The question can be answered in a foxy hedgehog style. ___5___ The choice between being a hedgehog or a fox is a false trade-off. The most effective way to go through life is to try to be that rare mixture known as foxy hedgehog.

A. In other words, there are clear advantages for each.

B. They are more likely to remember people’s mistakes.

C. Hence, they have the advantage of clarity and confidence.

D. But there can be a downside to concentration on one big thing.

E. However, hedgehogs remain open to others’ reactions and inputs.

F. When something is contradictory to their view, they don’t treat it as exceptional.

G. They come down squarely on one side or the other and fully support their position.