There are times when life as a human becomes difficult. We are caught between the divine and the instinctual: neither omnipotent gods able to avoid suffering nor blameless animals acting solely on impulse. On the contrary, to rise above, we must regulate our emotions, ideations, and penchants, eschewing any claim to divinity without descending to an animal state. For no god has ever struggled or exerted effort to attain and retain godhood, nor has...