«بِطِينُهْ وَلَا غَسِيلِ الْبِرَكْ»

The saying favors the option that causes less damage when every available choice has a drawback. What appears to be an improvement may be worse overall if it brings a more serious undesirable consequence.

It expresses a practical ranking of bad alternatives rather than approval of either one. The point is to recognize that an imperfect condition can be preferable when the proposed correction produces greater harm.

Use it when comparing two unwelcome alternatives and advising acceptance of the one with the milder consequences. It fits decisions where an attempted remedy or replacement would create a worse problem than the existing flaw.