舍本求末
shě​běn​qiú​mò

to neglect the fundamentals for the trivial

  1. 舍 捨 shě verbadjective
    to give up
    to give up; to abandon; to cast aside; to part with
  2. 本 běn proper nounadverb
    origin
    the source, foundation, or fundamental part of something
  3. 求 qiú verb
    to seek
    to look for or try to obtain something; to strive for
  4. 末 mò
    nonessentials
    minor details or things of secondary importance; nonessential matters as opposed to the fundamental root