Sounds to me like not flipping is worse. Flipping would mean a strong field, but in the opposite direction. Not flipping means little or no field at all and we’re all fried by cosmic rays and UV.
“Flipping would mean a strong field”
During the Laschamp event 41000 years ago the reversal lasted over 400 years at a 25% normal strength.
During the transition of several hundred years it was at 5%.