Comment by npteljes

Safety is not binary. One of the most common attacks is an automated probe for vulnerability, whereupon a successful discovery, the machine gets backdoored and joined into a network, awaiting instructions. These botnets, or services built on them are then rented out on the black or grey market. Patching regularly practically prevents this.

The smart thing to do is patching regularly AND having a good security posture. Neither can be given up, really.

Also, even risky things can work for a long time. An individual can go a lifetime of speeding, doing drugs, things like that, and not be majorly impacted. And on the flip side, another individual can have a stroke of bad luck despite their good posture.