Of two evils choose the lesser.

When the available choices are genuinely limited and every option has harmful consequences, choose the one likely to cause less damage. The saying frames the decision as harm reduction rather than a search for an ideal outcome.

It can acknowledge an unwelcome compromise: selecting the less bad course does not make it good. It calls for comparative judgment when harm cannot be avoided, not for excusing preventable harm or abandoning scrutiny of its effects.

Use it when contrasting two undesirable choices and recommending the one with fewer or less serious negative effects. It suits practical decisions, but can sound blunt if it dismisses harms borne by others or suggests they should simply accept a damaging outcome.