> Consistency is a hobgoblin.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
The whole quote is important. Cutting parts out changes the meaning of the whole thing.
I don’t think consistency is a hobgoblin (I hope I understand the meaning correctly). When you are new to a project you should follow the style of what’s already there and not do something completely different. Obviously there may be good reason but that should be discussed and you also should ask yourself if you are just not willing to adapt or if you are actually making things better.
Style is a matter of taste, just like writing English: there are synonyms and idioms for every idea that you want to express, so use that freedom to choose the clearest communication. Like English, programming code is meant to communicate to other humans, so don't artificially limit your vocabulary in the name of consistency.
Consistency is a hobgoblin.