What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters

This accessible guide by philosophy professor Tiberius (Well-Being as Value Fulfillment) ponders “how we should think through our choices, goals, and values in the face of continual change.” Tiberius encourages readers to interrogate why they have the principles they do and suggests one gains clarity by introspecting, imagining their ideal future, or examining what activities make them happy in a similar way to how researchers interpret lab rats’ responses to stimuli. Life goals often clash, she warns, as when the desire to advance one’s career comes at the cost of spending time with loved ones, and she offers strategies to resolve such conflicts: prioritize between goals, give up one of them, or reinterpret what achieving those goals looks like. Tiberius convincingly maintains that though the self-reflective capacity of the human mind may seem like a burden, it is a blessing because, unlike other animals, humans are able to change what matters to them and how. Her plain-language approach grounds the philosophical advice, as do the author’s lighthearted personal examples, one of which highlights competing values by describing how the author’s love of cheesecake runs counter to the value she places in her physical health. Entertaining and smart, this is philosophy for people who don’t usually like philosophy. (Jan.)