Justification

I've been asked a couple of times - I reply it suits me, good looking and exclusive, smile sweetly and walk away.

Pentax for me came from the film days, as mentioned by others above, and mean t I could use the same lenses on both body types.
Later when I upgraded it was because Pentax offered the best features for the price.

Nowadays it's probably a mix of convenience, emotional attachment, muscle memory/knowledge of menus etc, weather sealing and excellent results in most areas I need that keep me with Pentax. I have to admit there are features available on modern cameras from other brands today that have got my attention. The likes of eye AF and better video capabilities are becoming standard now and I could see a real use for these in the types of content I use my Pentax for.

Realistically I think overall digital cameras have come a long way in the last 10 years, so it's quite hard to find a bad one now.
Reviews are always a bit removed from real life too. -For example image quality from interchangeable lens camera is also related to lens quality, so a poor lens on good sensor will drag it all down, and lenses can easily cost more than bodies do.
Throw in experience and technique and pretty much any camera could be fine, which is that whole angle of make the most of your tools available.

Thanks for some very useful suggestions, especially the demonstration of water resistance from ilovesaabs and the food analogy from Mr B