“Taking the high road” implies choosing the harder path or making the harder choice, so maybe you’re just looking for a different noun/modifier pairing. Maybe something like “taking the deep water(or rapids)” or “using a short sword”.

ETHOS –noun 1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.

2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.

3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

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[Origin: 1850–55; < Gk: custom, habit, character]