Often times the safe choice is a "fixed mindset" choice. It leads to stagnation - you lose nothing but gain very little.

While risky choices are often "growth mindset". Often the direct outcome, whether it pays off or not, is less relevant than how it helps you develop. Cryptocurrency, even if I lose money in the end, has taught me a lot about both investing and economics. Jumping careers went horribly for me, but I now have a mixed skillset. Moving from the suburbs to a rural area on the other side of the country with only what I could fit in a backpack...well it taught me I do want to live in a city, I just hated the suburbs. But I made friends and learned things a long the way.

In the long term risky failures usually pay off better than safe stagnation. Then the risky successes are just straight profit.