Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism.

Bennett’s aphorism treats optimism and pessimism less as objective readings of reality than as habits of mind. The sting lies in the suggestion that emotional “agreeableness” can attach to either stance once it becomes familiar: people can acclimate to gloom just as they can to hope. The line implies that temperament is partly trained—through repetition, social reinforcement, and self-protective expectation management—so that even a negative outlook may feel comfortable, even soothing, because it reduces surprise and disappointment. As a critique, it warns against mistaking the comfort of a settled attitude for truth, and it invites readers to examine whether their outlook is chosen or merely customary.