if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging
English edit
Proverb edit
if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging
- When finding oneself in a troubling situation, one should first make sure one is not making the situation worse by one's own actions before addressing all other causes.
Usage notes edit
- This rule is known as the law of holes or Healey's law.
Synonyms edit
- when you are in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging
- when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging