It means not to get too invested in details or to become so invested in something that you can’t focus on anything else.
The larger one is (-11 + 41)/2 = 15.
The smaller one is (-11 -41)/2 = -26.
_____
For two numbers a and b with sum s and difference d, you can write the equations

Then adding the equations and dividing that sum by 2, you get

You can subtract the second eqution from the first and get a similar result for the smaller number

These are the formulas we used above.
This is a parabola, meaning the equation is a quadratic, so it has 2 roots or x-intercepts, keeping in mind that vertex will lie half-way between those intercepts.
so what's the x-value halfway between -3 and 7? yeap, you guessed it, 2.
so the axis of symmetry for this vertical parabola will be at x = 2.