"I'm already in trouble, I might as well go further" or "I'm already in trouble, I might as well make the punishment worth it." What phrase refers to the state of mind of a person who already believes themselves to be in so much trouble that they might as well continue doing the act that gets them in trouble because it can't get any better?
Learn English – Word/phrase for “I’m already in trouble, I might as well go further”
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Best Answer
I've also seen the one that Cugel mentioned; that's close to what you're describing, though it's more about the risk than the actual outcome. (Which is to say that you may not be hanged at all; you're merely risking that possibility, whereas you're seeking something where the person believes that things cannot get better.)
The one I've seen used commonly, which is also imperfect for the same reason, is "in for a penny, in for a pound". It has a broader usage than the one that you describe, in that it also refers to the amount of effort that someone applies to something regardless of whether they're in trouble. However it can also apply to situations where the speaker has risked the loss of the proverbial penny, and may as well take the additional risk of losing the proverbial pound. But again the problem is that the speaker doesn't actually believe that they WILL lose the pound. Still, both are somewhat close to the concept.