erring on the side of
Choosing the safer
Erring on the side of means choosing the safer or more cautious option when facing uncertainty.
The phrase acknowledges you might be wrong but suggests your mistake will at least be in the preferred direction: When in doubt, err on the side of caution.
You can err on the side of generosity, kindness, or any quality worth having too much of rather than too little.
- playing it safeAvoiding unnecessary risk
- better safe than sorryPrudence over risk
- circumspectionCareful consideration of consequences
- conservatismPreference for existing institutions
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
restraint · trade-off · balancing act · foresight · worst case scenario · overdoing · compromise · deliberation · risk aversion · risk management · carefulness · redundancy · overprotection · moderation · precaution · leniency · exaggeration · overreaction
erring on the side ofavoiding
Deliberately staying clear
shying away from · neglecting · underweighting · deprioritizing · sacrificing
erring on the side ofsplitting the difference
Agreeing on a midpoint
throwing caution to the wind · disregarding · threading the needle · gambling
erred, errors, errant, erratic, erratum, errata, errancy, inerrant, sidelong