I think it's not a purely intellectual decision, there are a lot of external factors that could tip the balance one way or the other. For example can money influence the decision?

- If you were being paid hourly you might benefit from being cautious.

- If it was a contract with a fixed cost you may have to bear it, resulting in a loss.

- If you were permanent money likely would not have made any difference.

The other filter I put things through is: what is everyone else in the organisation doing? If you're working with cowboy coders pushing out a new build to clients every day then why should your database team be held to a higher standard? Your caution may become a point of ridicule and derision from others, and it would be best to don the cowboy hat and push on. That's what the company expects, supports, and rewards.

Conversely, if you're working for banks, health care, or the military, you might take a much more cautious approach, and nobody is going to attack you for it because that's the standard that is expected.