if you find yourself in a hole, quit digging

If you're in a bad situation, stop doing things that will prolong or worsen it. A: "We need to change how we're doing business around here if we want to avoid bankruptcy." B: "Right. If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging." A: "Look, I wasn't trying to be offensive, but what I meant was—" B: "Tom, you're just making it worse. If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging." Dude, you're annoying everyone—just stop talking! If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging already, geez.