"Once you start something, you might as well go through with it" means that since one has already begun doing something, one should simply persist to the end and never give up or turn back midway. Its deeper meaning lies in emphasizing a resolute attitude and an unstoppable drive to act, and it is often used to describe choosing to complete something thoroughly rather than abandoning it halfway when facing risks or moral dilemmas. This idiom comes from Zhu Xi's Classified Conversations of Master Zhu in the Song Dynasty, where the original text reads, "If you do not do it, then do not stop." It reflects the practical spirit of Song Neo-Confucianism, which emphasized earnest action and freedom from hesitation. It is mostly used in spoken language and literary works to express a character's decisiveness at a critical moment or a mentality of throwing caution to the wind. Its emotional tone is relatively neutral, but it often carries a hint of helplessness, determination, or risk-taking. In terms of cultural background, it embodies the traditional Chinese cultural ideal of perseverance reflected in the saying "The one who travels a hundred li is only halfway there at ninety," and it also implies a rejection of indecisiveness.
📝 Example
Since we've already invested so much money, we might as well go the whole hog and expand the project. (Meaning: since we've already started, we should see it through to the end.)
After stealing the first sum of money, he decided to go the whole hog and committed a series of crimes in succession. (Meaning: since he had already made a mistake, he simply continued.)