"Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix" tells people that it is better to be a big shot in a small environment and achieve something, than to be a nobody in a big environment and be unknown. For example, some people would rather be an executive in a small company than a small foreman in a big company. Life is like a marathon. No matter whether you are at the head of a phoenix or at the tail of a chicken, you should guard your self-confidence and kindness and don't be a broken-hearted person.
"Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix" comes from "Han Ce I, the Warring States Policy". The original sentence is: "Better be the mouth of a chicken than the queen of an ox." It means that I would rather make a small and clean chicken mouth than a big and smelly cow anus. The metaphor of "Better be a chicken's mouth than a cow's queen" is that it is better to take the lead in a small scale than to be dominated by others in a large scale.
The Essence of "Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix"
Whether you are a chicken head or a phoenix tail, what matters is your mentality. People should live happily and pursue progress. When you are a phoenix tail and pretend to be a state, don't be depressed all day because you are behind others, but face up to your weaknesses, be detached from external evaluation and try to have a good time. In fact, it doesn't matter whether you are the head of a chicken or the tail of a phoenix. What matters is what attitude you take to face life and the things in front of you. This is the most important thing.
Instead of living in the shadow of others, it is better to cover the world with a sedan chair. But it also depends on the individual's ability. If you don't have strong pioneering ability or are still in the toddler stage, then you should follow others, at least with less risk. So if a person wants to be free, want to create something, toss something, then be the "head". If a person wants to live a regular and stable life with a high happiness index, then be a "tail".