Laws of holes
The law of holes, or the first law of holes, is an adage which states: "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." It is used as a metaphor, warning that when in an untenable position, it is best to stop making the situation worse.[1][2] The second law of holes is commonly known as: "When you stop digging, you are still in a hole."[3]
Background
[edit]When it is said, "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging",[4][5][1][6] it is because digging a hole makes it deeper and therefore harder to get out of.
Attribution
[edit]The adage has been attributed to a number of sources. It appeared in print on page six of The Washington Post dated 25 October 1911, in the form: "Nor would a wise man, seeing that he was in a hole, go to work and blindly dig it deeper..."[7][8]
In 1983, Bill Brock was quoted "Let me tell you about the law of holes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."[9]
In the United Kingdom, it has been referred to as "Healey's first law of holes"[5] after politician Denis Healey, who used the adage in the 1980s and later.[4]
Malapropism
[edit]On 4 May 2024, British politician Suella Braverman wrote in The Daily Telegraph: "The hole to dig us out is the PM's, and it's time for him to start shovelling."[10] According to The Guardian, this sentence "does not make sense".[11]
See also
[edit]- Escalation of commitment
- Gresham's law
- Sunk cost fallacy
- Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
- Pyrrhic victory
References
[edit]- ^ a b Speake, Jennifer (2015). "When you are in a hole, stop digging". Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (6 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-873490-1.
- ^ Moore, Merton (4 December 1920). Stop Digging—Climb. Vol. XVII. Holstein-Friesian World. p. 34. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
I have studied this situation thoroughly in five states and in close relation to hundreds of dairymen and the answer to 'Hard Times' is 'If you are in a hole, stop digging - raise your head - open your eyes - think - study -climb.'
- ^ Tech With Tech (23 October 2020). "The 5 Laws of Holes (+ Examples for Each)". Tech With Tech. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ a b Apperson, George Latimer (2006). The Wordsworth Dictionary of Proverbs. Ware: Wordsworth Editions. p. 283. ISBN 978-1840223118.
- ^ a b Lloyd, John; Hargreaves, Ian (8 November 1996). "Interview: Denis Healey; Healey's first law of holes is to stop digging". New Statesman. Vol. 9.
- ^ The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Yale University Press. 22 May 2012. ISBN 978-0-300-18335-1. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Doyle, Charles Clay; Mieder, Wolfgang; Shapiro, Fred R. (2012). The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300136029.
- ^ "Letting Bryan Down Easy". The Washington Post. 25 October 1911. p. 6. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Is That Dirt Being Shoveled?". The Bankers Magazine. Vol. 166, no. May–June 1983. Warren, Gorham & Lamont. 1983. p. 61. LCCN 89657447. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ Braverman, Suella (4 May 2024). "The Tories must change course, or be wiped out". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Sparrow, Andrew (5 May 2024). "Braverman tells Sunak to 'own' dismal election results and 'fix it' but says it's too late for Tories to change leader – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 May 2024.