Often the status quo seems the safest route. When in doubt, just do what everyone else does, right? You don’t want to second guess conventional wisdom for the lesser issues, but I’d argue that winning big is often the outcome from what was initially a contrarian view. Taking a contrarian view is a big bet.
Copernicus. Gallileo. Columbus. All contrarians.
Warren Buffett. Steve Jobs. Larry Page & Sergey Brin. More contrarians.
Sir Edmund Hillary. Roger Bannister. Jackie Robinson. Yep, they were contrarians too.
Their successes are only remarkable because they had the courage and conviction to disregard conventional wisdom and take a contrarian view. Regardless of how you define success - advancing science, building wealth and creating new industries or redefining sport - immeasurable rewards often follow when you take a contrarian view that later becomes the status quo.