Evaluating change

The extent to which we resist or embrace change often depends on the evidence we'll consider. Compare the pros of the existing situation to the cons of the change and your support for the status quo is assured. Weigh the expected benefits of change against the flaws of the existing system and your enthusiasm for change is inevitable.

"Conservative, n. A statesman enamored of existing evils, as opposed to a Liberal, who wants to replace them with others."

- Ambrose Bierce

If we chose A over B, is it because we mostly compared the pros of A against the cons of B?

When people put forward their best efforts to evaluate options, they may be unaware of the biases they introduce by their optimism or pessimism towards change, or by their preference for or distrust of the hypothetical versus the real. Encouraging everyone to fairly consider all the evidence can help.

As a believer in continual improvement, I tend to favour a change before it has even been defined. What are your biases for evaluating change?