Moral High Ground Means People Sink Lower Taking

"To take the moral high ground" means to keep one's beliefs and to behave according to what is generally accepted as a high standard of good and correct behavior. When we talk about "morality" (noun) or "moral" (adjective) behavior, we are talking about our "principles" (important beliefs) about what is right and wrong, and what is good or bad.

"High ground" is the term we use for a place or piece of land that is higher than the areas around it. That's where you want to be if there is a "flood" (too much water over land), so you can stay dry. A person who has or takes the moral high ground in a debate or controversy is someone who has or wants to have the better moral position when compared to others involved, whether it's "in their own eyes" (from their own point of view) or in the eyes of others. If, for example, people at work are trying to "curry favor" (get someone to like them more by trying to please that person) with the boss by telling lies about their coworkers, you may want to take the moral high ground and not do the same thing, even if it means you will not gain the same advantage as your coworkers.

The opposite of taking the moral high ground is "to sink to (someone's) level." "To sink" means to fall or to drop to a lower level. "To sink to (someone's) level" means to lower one's standards so that one behaves in a way that is similar to another person who has lower standards. For instance, if you're in car race and one of the racers "routinely" (regularly) wins by "paying off" (giving money to someone so they'll do or not do something) his competitors, you might say, "I won't sink to his level to win."

So people who take the moral high ground are people who won't sink to the level of others. We often think highly or well of people who take the moral high ground, especially if it means there is some "sacrifice" (giving up of something important) on their part.