Funnily enough, the Spanish equivalent of this saying is «Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer» and it is widely used in Spain, hence, the lack of progress in many aspects of life. Language shapes the way we think and behave, so whenever a Spanish person faces a difficult choice, they tend to say to themselves, or others, «Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don’t» and end up choosing the safer option, even if it isn’t the best choice.