When it's too late to make a good choice

I've noticed in a few TV shows recently where a character has to make a choice, but all the options seem bad. At that point an idea comes to my mind. When you're in that situation, you've already made your bad decision. Now you're at a point where you're dealing with the consequences, and there's little you can do about it. It would be good if those choices were obvious at the time, but too often it's easy to rationalise and write off the initial bad option as "for the greater good" or just for the short term.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - Lies often fall under that category.
PPS - They compound on each other until it's too late to get out.