To truly master algebra, you must learn to think like an equation. You must embody its core principles.

1. Be Balanced. In everything you do, seek equilibrium. Understand that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

2. Be Honest. An equation cannot lie. 5 is always 5. It represents a state of absolute, verifiable truth.

3. Be Logical. Every step must follow from the one before it. There are no emotional leaps, no unsupported conclusions.

4. Be Simplistic. An equation's ultimate desire is to be simplified, to be reduced to its most elegant and essential truth.

5. Be Unwavering. An equation does not change its mind. Its rules are its rules. It is consistent.

When you face a problem, don't just see it as an opponent. Try to see the world from its point of view.

What does it want? It wants to be balanced. It wants to be simplified.

Work *with* the equation, not against it. Help it achieve its natural state of simple, balanced truth.

When you can think like an equation, you will never be intimidated by one again.