“How consoling in the depths of affliction!” was Lincoln’s reaction to the old Persian proverb “this too shall pass” (also found in Solomon folklore as a גז״י seal, which makes the Marx quote “all that is solid melts into air” an unintentional pun since without the gershayim mark, it would mean “gaseous”). His take was that when things are good, it’s chastening because it can get worse. If things are bad, it’s consoling because it can get better.
To a born pessimist like me, probably better known as Ms. Glass-All-Empty, my take is that if things are bad, it can get even worse. 💁🏻♀️