Our brains seek order and resist the unexpected, inconsistent, and counterintuitive. But life is more often paradoxical than predictable — which is why formulas for fulfillment and success often fail. Instead of fighting the tide of contradiction and confusion, Lesser teaches simple tools and practices for understanding, and even embracing, them. Readers learn to master five core competencies, including the title’s Know Yourself, Forget Yourself; Fight for Change, Accept What Is; and Embrace Emotion, Embody Equanimity. The result is balance, a version of Buddhism’s “middle way,” which prompts understanding of what is required in any given moment and actions that skillfully “dance” with paradox in enriching and joyful ways. Bolstered by the latest in neuroscience, this guide is nuanced and direct, profound and practical.