Law of holes explained

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]

Background

When it is said, "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging",[1] [3] it is because digging a hole makes it deeper and therefore harder to get out of. More generally, the adage advises how one should solve problems of their own making.

The second law of holes is commonly known as: "when you stop digging, you are still in a hole."[4]

Attribution

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..."[5]

In 1983, Bill Brock was quoted "Let me tell you about the law of holes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."

In the United Kingdom, it has been referred to as "Healey's first law of holes" after politician Denis Healey, who used the adage in the 1980s and later.

Malapropism

On 4 May 2024, British politician Suella Braverman wrote in The Telegraph: "The hole to dig us out is the PM's, and it's time for him to start shovelling."[6] According to The Guardian, this sentence "does not make sense."[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Speake . Jennifer. When you are in a hole, stop digging . Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (6 ed.). 2015 . 978-0-19-873490-1.
  2. Book: Moore, Merton . Stop Digging—Climb . 1920-12-04 . Holstein-Friesian World . XVII . 34 . 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.' . 17 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211226161134/https://books.google.com/books?id=jQM77ia3eKMC&q=%E2%80%9C+If+you+are+in+a+hole+%2C+stop+digging+-+raise+your+head+-+open+your+eyes+%E2%80%94+think+-+study+-climb%22 . 26 December 2021 . live . 49.
  3. Book: The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs . 2012-05-22 . Yale University Press . 978-0-300-18335-1 . en . 17 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211226161131/https://books.google.com/books?id=c0ZiqVnQju8C&dq=%22when+you+are+in+a+hole%2C+stop+digging%22+-black&pg=PT205 . 26 December 2021 . live.
  4. Web site: Tech With Tech . 2020-10-23 . The 5 Laws of Holes (+ Examples for Each) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210814233307/https://techwithtech.com/laws-of-holes/ . 14 August 2021 . 2021-08-14 . Tech With Tech . en-US.
  5. News: 25 October 1911 . Letting Bryan Down Easy . 6 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210913004123/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85226045/letting-bryan-down-easy/ . 13 September 2021 . newspapers.com . 12 September 2021.
  6. News: Braverman . Suella . 2024-05-04 . The Tories must change course, or be wiped out . 2024-05-05 . The Telegraph . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  7. News: Sparrow . Andrew . 2024-05-05 . 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 . 2024-05-05 . the Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.

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