People do indeed dislike novelty. I think this is instinct. Fear of the unknown is a healthy response for a primate in natural circumstances.
Here are some good quotes about this: http://amasci.com/weird/skepquot.html I like these: "The mind likes a strange idea as little as the body likes a strange protein and resists it with similar energy. It would not perhaps be too fanciful to say that a new idea is the most quickly acting antigen known to science." - Wilfred Trotter, 1941 "If we watch ourselves honestly we shall often find that we have begun to argue against a new idea even before it has been completely stated." - Wilfred Trotter The hysterical opposition and half-baked critiques being posted here in opposition to the latest Levi test are good examples of this dynamic at work. - Jed
