We’re always vulnerable to emotional upheaval. Change is inevitable, and it rarely comes when or how we expect it will. What’s worse, somehow it never gets easier to manage: Our collective failure to deal well with change supports a host of industries, from psychoanalysis to plastic surgery.

The prevailing wisdom of the day is that staying true to oneself is the only way to navigate the stormy seas of uncertainty. Authenticity is big business these days. Brené Brown skyrocketed into the public eye with a series of TED Talks, books and a Netflix special this year about using our deepest personal vulnerabilities as fuel for bravery. Decades ago, Oprah amassed a huge fortune encouraging women to know, and live, their truths. The corporate world has gotten the message too: Millennials ...