Videos, Podcasts, Media Appearances
July 16, 2024 - Psyche
We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply
Have you ever found yourself feeling envious of someone on social media? Perhaps you saw one of your peers doing something incredible and you’ve sunk into a funk about how much better that person is doing than you? Maybe a momentous birthday has sent you into an existential crisis about the way you’re spending your time? READ MORE
October 24, 2023
Stressing about your bucket list? Maybe it's time to start a 'chuck-it list'
Minnesota philosopher of well-being talks happiness, achievement and the bittersweet release of goals.
By Jessy Rehmann
Read article here
Sustainable Ambition Podcast
September 20, 2023 - Kathy Oneto in conversation with Valerie Tiberius
How can we craft our goals in ways that actually support our well-being? How can we reduce frustration and, in turn, increase fulfillment as we pursue our goals?Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Valerie Tiberius. Valerie’s work explores the ways in which philosophy and psychology contribute to the study of well-being and virtue. Her most recent book, What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters has been especially relevant to the way I think about Sustainable Ambition, pursuing our goals, and navigating conflict around them.
The Washington Post - Opinion by Valerie Tiberius
August 28, 2023
IOn my father’s 75th birthday, he announced some news: He no longer intended to learn Spanish. He told me that, for most of his life, he imagined he would one day speak the language fluently, but this year, at this new age and vantage point, he was giving up that goal.
He seemed a little melancholy about it but mostly relieved that he no longer had this piñata of shame hanging over his head.
Best of all, he adopted a mental heuristic for this goal-no-longer that I believe has liberating potential for everyone: Learning Spanish, he told me, was now an item on his “chuck-it list.”
May 14, 2023 - Seize the Moment Podcast
On episode 173, we welcome Valerie Tiberius to discuss the significance of cultivating a system of personal values, values as opposed to goals, Valerie’s clash of values - between being a good woman and a good philosopher, self-enhancing beliefs and how they preclude us from knowing what we’re actually capable of, searching for approval from those who don’t want what’s best for us, focusing on your values to motivate yourself to complete mundane tasks, strategies for discovering what’s meaningful to us, culture as a barrier to value fulfillment - especially misogyny, using our emotions as guides to meaningful activities, and why an obsession with doing what you have to - as opposed to what you want to - leads to burnout.
Christian Humanist Profiles 248: What Do You Want out of Life?
May 1, 2023
Philoctetes is not the best-known Sophocles tragedy, but its questions stick with me. When the title character insists on his dignity as a man of war, he runs afoul of the Odysseus of Sophocles, who could not care less about the wounded warrior’s sense of being wronged, so he enlists Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who insists that abstract virtues of war must govern everything that concerns the struggle. I won’t spoil the ending of Philoctetes today, but I will say that conflicting values have not become any less interesting in the two and a half millennia since. Dr. Valerie Tiberius has brought that conversation off the mythological battlefield and into the very real tensions between money and reputation and peace of mind and different kinds of abstract principles in her recent book What Do You Want out of Life, and Christian Humanist Profiles is glad to welcome her to the show.
In Search of Wisdom Podcast
May 3, 2023 - J.W. Bertolotti in conversation with Valerie Tiberius
SUBSTACK PAGE here
SPOTIFY PODCAST
APPLE PODCAST
The best books for understanding what's really important, from someone who doesn't have it all figured out
March 1, 2023 by Valerie Tiberius
When I entered my fifties, I was very surprised to discover that I didn’t have my life all figured out. This was especially surprising since the nature of a good human life has been my research topic for decades. What I have learned, from philosophy and from my collaborations with psychologists, is that it’s always going to be a process. We have to figure out what matters and how to get it, we have to navigate value conflicts, and we have to accept that the answers will change as our circumstances change. The books I’ve recommended aren’t guides to life, but I think they’re great for understanding the process. Read More
Exceptional Advisor Podcast
March 2023
In this episode, Robert Powell sits down with Professor Valerie Tiberius, the author of What Do You Want Out of Life? Professor Tiberius guides listeners in reflecting on their goals through a philosophical lens, providing a roadmap for a lifetime of purposeful self-discovery. More here
Next Big Idea Club - Book Bites
March 1, 2023
Valerie Tiberius is a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota. Much of her work is centered at the junction of practical philosophy and practical psychology, examining how both disciplines can meaningfully improve lives. She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Toronto and a master’s and doctorate in philosophy from the University of North Carolina.
Below, Valerie shares 5 key insights from her new book, What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters. Listen to the audio version—read by Valerie herself—in the Next Big Idea App.
What Do You Want Out Of Life?
FEBRUARY 24, 2023 BY VALERIE TIBERIUS
FUNDRAISING LEADERSHIP
Margaret and David talk with Valerie Tiberius about her new book What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters.
Valerie, an author and professor of philosophy, shares why she tackled such a lofty topic for a book. We delve deeply into values, and how we need to take a long look at our values to inform us, as they might not be our own.
You can read a full chapter of Valerie’s new book on our blog. Read this full post here.
Making Peace with What You Can’t Change
FEBRUARY 24, 2023 BY VALERIE TIBERIUS
FUNDRAISING
LEADERSHIP
Chapter 6: When All Else Fails — excerpted from WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE?: A Philosophical Guide To Figuring Out What Matters by Valerie Tiberius
Let’s take stock. It’s good for us to be able to do the things that matter to us. We’re not always clear about what matters, or what matters most, or how it matters, and the experience of conflict pushes us to find clarity. We refine our system of values and goals by seeing clearly what they are, adjusting how we go about achieving them, getting rid of the bad stuff, and reinterpreting what our values mean so that we can pursue them together. What do we do when these strategies fail? Read More
The Philosopher: What Matters Most - A Conversation with Karen Stohr - Feb 16, 2023
Listen to the full podcast here.
Valerie Tiberius, Professor of Philosophy, is here to provide us with a practical look at how to define and fulfill our values and goals. Through illustrative examples from her book, What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters, Valerie guides us in finding our true purpose in life and how to get there. With her wise words and actionable advice, you’ll unlock the power to create the life you want and overcome obstacles to achieving it. Don’t let this opportunity pass, take the chance to define your aspirations and make the most out of life!
The Avid Reader Show
January 26, 2023
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
A short guide to living well by understanding better what you really value--and what to do when your goals conflict
What do you want out of life? To make a lot of money--or work for justice? To run marathons--or sing in a choir? To have children--or travel the world? The things we care about in life--family, friendship, leisure activities, work, our moral ideals--often conflict, preventing us from doing what matters most to us. Even worse, we don't always know what we really want, or how to define success….Read more here
KERA Radio -Are Your Goals in Line with Your Values?
January 23, 2023
It can be hard to define our goals — sometimes we need a little help. Valerie Tiberius, Paul W. Frenzel Chair in Liberal Arts and professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to align our goals with our values and what to do when those things don’t match up. Plus, we’ll learn how to use philosophy and psychology to guide us to the answers. Her book is “What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters.”
Flipping Failure
January 9, 2023
“Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big,” said Denzel Washington. “Failing big” has been much in the news—it’s part of an exciting strategy that also includes “move fast and break things” and “no risk, no reward!” But what about failing small? Those of us who are not movie stars or big tech entrepreneurs are failing small all the time by some standard. We don’t meet our goals, we fall short of our objectives, we lose things, and our dreams shrink to fit the lives we live. How should we think about this kind of failure? Read More
Princeton University Press - Ideas Podcast
Valerie Tiberius introduces you to a way of thinking about your goals that enables you to reflect on them effectively throughout your life. She illustrates her approach with vivid examples, many of which are drawn from her own life, ranging from the silly to the serious, from shopping to navigating prejudice. Throughout, the book emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness, reminding us of the profound influence other people have on our lives, our goals, and how we should pursue them. At the same time, the book offers strategies for coping with obstacles to realizing your goals, including gender bias and other kinds of discrimination.
Whether you are changing jobs, rethinking your priorities, or reconsidering your whole life path, What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters (Princeton UP, 2023) is an essential guide to helping you understand what really matters to you and how you can thoughtfully pursue it.
Psychologists Off The Clock Podcast
Listen to the full podcast here.
Valerie Tiberius, Professor of Philosophy, is here to provide us with a practical look at how to define and fulfill our values and goals. Through illustrative examples from her book, What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters, Valerie guides us in finding our true purpose in life and how to get there. With her wise words and actionable advice, you’ll unlock the power to create the life you want and overcome obstacles to achieving it. Don’t let this opportunity pass, take the chance to define your aspirations and make the most out of life!
Channel KARE 11 News Interview: Are You Making the Right New Year’s Resolutions for You?
Television Interview with Valerie Tiberius
Valerie Tiberius, a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota, said the new year is a good time to check in with yourself about what matters most to you.
Tiberius has a new book coming out next week called "What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters," which delves into better understanding your values and what to do when your goals conflict.
Ideas & Insights Interview: What Do You Want Out of Life?
Public Television Interview with Valerie Tiberius
Dr. Badrinath Rao interviews Dr. Valerie Tiberius, a widely published author, she has spent decades pondering over the seemingly intractable problem of coming to grips with our choices, goals, and values in the face of continual change. Her book, What Do You Want Out of Life, published by Princeton University Press in 2022, provides a bracing account of how we can lead a life of fulfillment by deftly managing conflicts arising from incompatible goals and values.
“Values & Goals” ABC interview with Valerie Tiberius
Host: David Rutledge, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
30 minute discussion about new book: “What Do You Want Out of Life? A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters”, by Valerie Tiberius
Princeton University Press (forthcoming, early 2023)
Click photo to LISTEN to podcast.
The Problem of Conflicting Goals
Video presentation by Valerie Tiberius
Conflicts among our goals are a major impediment to living a good life. Conflicts frustrate competing goals and they also cause us to wonder if we’re on the wrong path. In this talk, Professor Valerie Tiberius presents a constructive way of thinking about goal conflicts and how to resolve them.
Moderated by Professor Howard Nusbaum.
Preparing For Happiness During The Pandemic
Spring 2020, University of Minnesota Alumni Association Magazine
Click photo to read full article.
Valerie Tiberius’s Presidential Address at the Central Division of the American Philosophical Association
March 3, 2017, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Click picture for audio.
Listen to the full Presidential Address here.
Valerie Tiberius’s Advice to her Friend, Philosophy. Plus Important Survey Data from over 2500 Philosophers.
A blog discussion held on April 11, 2017
Click photo to read full article.
Panel Discussion, “Cultivating Character: The Art of Living”, third part of the series “From Knowledge to Wisdom: Science and the Good Life”
The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, February 3, 2016
Very Bad Wizards (podcast) – A Philosopher and Psychologist Ponder Human Morality
December 3, 2015 – click picture to listen
Description: Special guest Valerie Tiberius joins us to talk about values, well-being, and friendship. What role should reflection play in the good life? What about emotion? How can we make our values more consistent and sustainable? Do we know our friends better than we know ourselves? Plus, are philosophers experts? Experts of what? What are the boundaries of our discipline? And what motivates a gay Mormon to stay in the Church? In the first segment, David and Tamler list a few things they’re grateful for on Thanksgiving, including you, the listeners (awwwwww…)
University of Minnesota News: Could Science Replace Ethics? Q&A with Valerie Tiberius
January 21, 2015 – Click for full article
Journal of Practical Ethics Podcast, “How Theories of Well-Being Can Help”
December 2014
Listen to podcast here.
Mostly Elephant, ergo…. Valerie Tiberius interviewed by Richard Marshall
October 8, 2012 – Click for full article
Philosophy Talk, discussion with John Perry and Ken Taylor on “Wisdom”
Aired the week of September 25, 2011 – Click for podcast
Access Minnesota, interview with Jim Du Bois
Aired the week of July 17, 2011 – Click for full article
Podcast interview with Luke Muehlhauser, “Wisdom and Well-Being”
Fall 2010
Philosophy TV conversation with Simon Keller, “Well-Being and Social Psychology”
Fall 2010 – Watch here
