--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is safest to take the unpopular side…" description: "\"It is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/william-lamb-melbourne-76345_easy_it-is-safest-to-take-the-unpopular-side_2506284.jpg" --- # It is safest to take the unpopular side in the first… ![“It is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep and rugged that it is impossible to maintain it.” quote by William Lamb Melbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/william-lamb-melbourne-76345_easy_it-is-safest-to-take-the-unpopular-side_2506284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/william-lamb-melbourne-76345_easy_it-is-safest-to-take-the-unpopular-side_2506284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/william-lamb-melbourne-76345_easy_it-is-safest-to-take-the-unpopular-side_2506284.jpg) > “It is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep and rugged that it is impossible to maintain it.” [William Lamb Melbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lamb-melbourne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocating early adoption of unpopular opinions because later it becomes harder to revert to mainstream views. **In simple terms:** Take unpopular stance early to avoid later difficulty. Key Takeaway Consider the long‑term impact of your positions. Themes politics strategy conformity Mood cautious analytical Type strategic philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - organizational change - personal ethics Key Concepts social dynamics risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you face by choosing the unpopular side? - How can you sustain unpopular views? A Different Perspective Popular pressure may still dominate despite early stance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Instance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instance/) [Maintain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maintain/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Popular Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-unpopular-1112505/) [Rugged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rugged/) [Safest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safest/) [Safest Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safest-unpopular-1002098/) [Side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side/) [Steep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steep/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Transit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transit/) [Transit Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transit-unpopular-1002096/) [Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular/) [Unpopular Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular-easy-1002095/) ## Related quotes > [My esoteric doctrine, is that if you entertain any doubt, it is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. 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Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) [Browse all 14,306 Easy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. 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