--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we're all going to hell in a…" description: "\"If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down\" — James St. James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg" --- # If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as… ![“If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down” quote by James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg) > “If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down” [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that if doom is inevitable, one should enjoy the descent, turning catastrophe into celebration. **In simple terms:** If hell is inevitable, party on the way down. Key Takeaway Embrace joy amid disaster. Themes nihilism celebration resilience Mood darkly humorous defiant Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - political turmoil - personal crises - social upheaval Key Concepts existentialism cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - Can joy coexist with catastrophe? - What does “party” mean in dire contexts? A Different Perspective May ignore seriousness of issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Going Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-hell/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hell Handbasket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-handbasket-1522648/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Party Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party-way-2289179/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [“If were all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-were-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-we-might-as-well-make-it-a/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [I want to see working people and young people come into the party in a way that doesn't exist now. And you know what,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-want-to-see-working-people-and-young-people-come-into-the-party-in/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [That's so her. You know, torn between Big Ideas and a party. She's always been that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/that-s-so-her-you-know-torn-between-big-ideas-and-a-party-she-s/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [If your birthday party fell on the same night as another birthday party, I'd get the other one out of the way first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-birthday-party-fell-on-the-same-night-as-another-birthday/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A two-party system is way too good for those two parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/a-two-party-system-is-way-too-good-for-those-two-parties/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [If you're going through hell keep on going don't slow down if you're scared don't show it you might get out before the devil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-going-through-hell-keep-on-going-don-t-slow-down-if-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Hell in a Handbasket' is not dealing with the political nature of the country. It's dealing with the humanity and the compassion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meat-loaf/hell-in-a-handbasket-is-not-dealing-with-the-political-nature-of-the/) [Meat Loaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meat-loaf/) > [“Because a lot of the time ever when I say anything about how the world is goin to hell in a handbasket people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/because-a-lot-of-the-time-ever-when-i-say-anything-about-how-the/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“And if the world went to hell in a handbasket-as it seemed to be doing-you could say good-bye to everyone and retreat to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/and-if-the-world-went-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-as-it-seemed-to-be/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Everyone wants to know why customer service has gone to hell in a handbasket. I want to know why customer behavior has gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/everyone-wants-to-know-why-customer-service-has-gone-to-hell-in-a/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm not a schmuck. Even if the world goes to hell in a handbasket, I won't lose a penny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-not-a-schmuck-even-if-the-world-goes-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-i/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The first principle of freedom is the right to go to hell in your own handbasket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-principle-of-freedom-is-the-right-to-go-to-hell-in-your-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is bad enough to be unconverted and going to hell. It is even worse to say, “I know it and will not cry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle-2/it-is-bad-enough-to-be-unconverted-and-going-to-hell-it-is-even-worse/) [J.C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle-2/) > [If I had to lay bets, my bet would be that everything is going to go to hell, but, you know, what else have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rorty/if-i-had-to-lay-bets-my-bet-would-be-that-everything-is-going-to-go/) [Richard Rorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rorty/) > [“Because if Rob was going to hell, Gamelyn wasn't going to let him go alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-tullos-hennig/because-if-rob-was-going-to-hell-gamelyn-wasn-t-going-to-let-him-go/) [J. Tullos Hennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-tullos-hennig/) ## More by James St. James > [So let's start at the very begining (a very good place to start...)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/so-let-s-start-at-the-very-begining-a-very-good-place-to-start/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [“and so it came to pass that i was strapped to a gurney and covered in raw liver and slabs of beef that very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/and-so-it-came-to-pass-that-i-was-strapped-to-a-gurney-and-covered-in/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [I think that when you are a teenager, it's the smartest you will ever be in your life. Teenagers are so resilient and strong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/i-think-that-when-you-are-a-teenager-it-s-the-smartest-you-will-ever/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [If letters had eyebrows, these would be arched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-letters-had-eyebrows-these-would-be-arched/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [I can be an incredibly fabulous person, and I don't have to be in the highest heels, the tallest wig, the skimpiest outfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/i-can-be-an-incredibly-fabulous-person-and-i-don-t-have-to-be-in-the/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [There are people who have too much space between their ears, and given the time, do nothing but free fall forever inside their head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/there-are-people-who-have-too-much-space-between-their-ears-and-given/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [The true nature of evil is that it is so very casual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/the-true-nature-of-evil-is-that-it-is-so-very-casual/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [Drug addicts are so funny that way. Just spinning around, lost in their own little world. Doing so much, accomplishing so little. How sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/drug-addicts-are-so-funny-that-way-just-spinning-around-lost-in-their/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [“There are times when the world slips out of control. It's like an accident that is happening too quickly , and you can't stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/there-are-times-when-the-world-slips-out-of-control-it-s-like-an/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [“We're like two peas in a pod""Pity the pod”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/we-re-like-two-peas-in-a-pod-pity-the-pod/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [I don’t know how you look at the inside of your head — what metaphor you choose — but for those of us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/i-don-t-know-how-you-look-at-the-inside-of-your-head-what-metaphor/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [Tease hair, not homos!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/tease-hair-not-homos/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [“Funny, that no matter where you are in the world, there’s always someone eager to help you destroy yourself. It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/funny-that-no-matter-where-you-are-in-the-world-there-s-always/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [“And LO and BEHOLD, I was on BOTH the six AND eleven o’clock newscasts! AND all the commercials, as well! (‘Day of the drag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/and-lo-and-behold-i-was-on-both-the-six-and-eleven-o-clock-newscasts/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) > [I can remember every outfit I wore to every party going back to 1983.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/i-can-remember-every-outfit-i-wore-to-every-party-going-back-to-1983/) [James St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) [Explore all 35 James St. James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/) ## More Hell quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“Hell is only loneliness, a place without play for the soul, a place without God. How could there be God in loneliness when God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/hell-is-only-loneliness-a-place-without-play-for-the-soul-a-place/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [Just when I thought that I was gtting better, boy was I wrong.. Things just turned to hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cupecake/just-when-i-thought-that-i-was-gtting-better-boy-was-i-wrong-things/) [Cupecake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cupecake/) > [I believe that on any trip to heaven, there are always detours through hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/i-believe-that-on-any-trip-to-heaven-there-are-always-detours-through/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [I'm what is known as gradually disintegrating. I don't fear the next world, or anything. I don't fear hell, and I don't look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/i-m-what-is-known-as-gradually-disintegrating-i-don-t-fear-the-next/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Hey...Hey...What's up?. Nothing much, you? Nothing. K!..What the hell was the point of this communication?...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-hey-what-s-up-nothing-much-you-nothing-k-what-the-hell-was-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Except in these latter-day songs, \[Bob\] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dylan-is-a-grizzled-old-prophet/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“ALAS, IF ALL HUMANS WERE WISE AND HAD MORE GOOD WILL THE WORLD WOULD BE A PARADISE NOW IT IS MOSTLY A HELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/alas-if-all-humans-were-wise-and-had-more-good-will-the-world-would/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) [Browse all 8,212 Hell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James St. James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-we-might-as-well-make-it-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hell" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-we-might-as-well-make-it-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/james-st-james-18251_hell_if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbask_2643615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we're all going to hell in a handbasket, we might as well make it a party on the way down” — James St. James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James St. James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-st-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we're all going to hell...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-we-might-as-well-make-it-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-st-james/if-we-re-all-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-we-might-as-well-make-it-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```