Roughly 450 years later, Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the 11th canto of “In Memoriam,” refers to “calm on the seas.” Tennyson’s poem, though, is about the poet’s psyche.

In unfamiliar, high-stakes situations, it can be difficult to remain calm and open-minded. Our instinctive reaction is to stick with what has worked for us in the past. That’s normal, and it can ...