Known as "the Law of Holes," this saying means that a person who is in a bad situation should stop making it worse. It is often used to talk about a situation that the person created themselves.
For example, if you are in a bad relationship, in debt, or have an addiction, you can't fix the problem with more of the same.
Often attributed to Will Rogers, Bill Brock or Denis Healy, a version of the adage appears in several earlier sources:
For example, if you are in a bad relationship, in debt, or have an addiction, you can't fix the problem with more of the same.
Often attributed to Will Rogers, Bill Brock or Denis Healy, a version of the adage appears in several earlier sources:
[A] wise man, seeing that he was in a hole [would not] go to work and blindly dig it deeper. (1911)
There are greater possibilities today than ever before, but the man who has dug a hole and refuses to get out of it, can expect only to dig himself into deeper darkness the longer he digs The answer to "Hard Times" is "if you are in a hole stop digging -- raise your head -- open your eyes -- think -- study -- climb. It's easy to climb and hard to dig, and the more climbing you do, the quicker you will find yourself in the land of greater profit and happiness. (1920)
Have you ever made a challenge worse by repeating the same mistake that got you into the situation?
