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if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like

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if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

One might not see things clearly if one relies too much on a particular tool, method, or mindset. This phrase is typically attributed to 20th-century psychologist Abraham Maslow. The trouble with these Freudian scholars is that they don't realize some things can be taken at face value. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, you know?

See also: all, everything, have, if, like, look, nail