A hunter with one arrow does not shoot with a careless aim.
What it means
A hunter with many arrows can afford a loose shot. He can miss, and try again. This hunter has one, so a miss ends the hunt, and perhaps the meal.
What the single arrow changes is not his chances. It changes how he aims. Having less forces him to be slower, quieter and more exact than a richer hunter ever needs to be.
So the proverb is not advice to carry a spare. It describes what scarcity does to care. When there is only one attempt — one interview, one loan, one conversation to repair something — you prepare it properly, because a careless try costs you the whole thing.
