Beginning in 1951, radio pioneer Edward R. Murrow asked Americans from all walks of life to write essays about their most fundamental and closely held beliefs. Half a century later, NPR, Atlantic Public Media and This I Believe, Inc. are partnering to recreate 'This I Believe' on the air and online.
January 4, 2009 · Gina Parosa believes in letting her kids, pets and livestock make their own paths in life. But she also realizes that as a farmer and parent, she sometimes has to step in and set good boundaries — while still being flexible enough to change them.
()
January 1, 2009 · Majora Carter believes you don't have to move out of your old neighborhood to live in a better one. Carter was raised in the South Bronx and spent years trying to leave. But when the city proposed a waste facility there, she was inspired to fight for her community.
()
December 21, 2008 · As an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Paul Farmer has traveled the planet to organize and provide medical treatment for people living in poverty. He believes good health care is vital but just the first step in creating a world free of all human suffering.
()
December 15, 2008 · When a blind woman approached Felipe Morales, he assumed she wanted money — but all she really needed was directions. The incident reminded Morales about the risks of prejudging people and taught him a valuable lesson about humility in his own life.
()
December 7, 2008 · As a child during the Iranian Revolution, writer Dalia Sofer lived with chaos and instability. As a teenager, reading Sartre filled her with futility and nihilism. Now, Sofer finds joy and meaning even in an impermanent existence.
()
December 4, 2008 · Michael Gabby supported Barack Obama for president — but deep down, he doubted the slogan, "Yes we can." Now, as America is poised to inaugurate its first black president, Gabby is more hopeful about the U.S. as a home for his multiracial family.
()
November 23, 2008 · Every week, British musician Brian Eno and his friends gather in a London flat for a night of a capella singing. Eno believes group singing is more than just a good time — he says it renews mind, body, spirit and community.
()
November 17, 2008 · Claude Knobler hoped to have a Hollywood career. Instead, he ended up delivering singing telegrams in a gorilla suit, working as a private eye and being a stay-at-home dad. Though it's a less sensible life than he had imagined, Knobler has learned to love life's ridiculousness.
()
November 11, 2008 · There is perhaps no time that belief is more emphatically tested, and acted upon, than in war. For this Veterans Day, five essayists who served in battle from World War I through the Iraq war describe how the violence of combat shaped their beliefs.
()
November 9, 2008 · While serving with the Air Force in Afghanistan, TJ Turner saw a country scarred by years of conflict. Yet in the faces of Afghan children, he saw a glimmer of optimism. Turner believes nurturing their hope can help bring an end to terrorism.
()
November 6, 2008 · As a young teacher fresh out of graduate school, Geoffrey Canada saw how even the most troubled children could learn — all it took was finding the right approach. Today, Canada believes dedication and innovative teaching techniques can help any child succeed.
()
November 4, 2008 · The elections provide an opportunity to voice our hopes and aspirations. On Election Day 2008, four essayists explore their beliefs in the democratic process — from finding the power of the vote to seeking common ground in a divisive political climate.
()
October 26, 2008 · As a young, ego-driven lawyer, Randy Komisar ran a number of technology companies. He was successful — but increasingly unhappy. Then Komisar studied Eastern philosophy and discovered how to use his heart and mind to help other entrepreneurs succeed.
()
October 20, 2008 · In his decades as a public defender, Peter Keane represented murderers and other criminals as skillfully as he could — even when he knew they were guilty. Keane believes even the worst criminals deserve to have someone on their side.
()
October 16, 2008 · After 18 years, Toya Smith Marshall stopped straightening her hair and let it revert to its natural kinkiness. Marshall believes that by no longer fighting her hair, she found the freedom to be herself and live by her own definition of beauty.
()In collaboration with Atlantic Public Media and This I Believe, Inc. All material is copyright; no reproduction or excerpting is permitted without written consent.
HelpNPR invites you to share the beliefs that guide you in your daily life.
Tell us what you believe »
"It is words like these and the power of the simple idea conceived a half a century ago that inspire us to revive This I Believe today."
"In this brief space, a banker or a butcher, a painter or a social worker... will write about the rules they live by, the things they have found to be the basic values in their lives."
Download discussion guides and educational curricula to help facilitate This I Believe conversations in your community.
Related Podcasts
