This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Phyllis Allen’s sense of self has changed throughout her lifetime under the influence of cultural changes which affected her as an African American woman. In her 50s, Allen finally feels able to define her own identity and follow her mother’s advice to simply be the best version of herself.

Allen sells advertising in her native Texas, but hopes to pursue her passion for writing when she retires.

Isabel Allende reflected deeply on her beliefs while caring for and later mourning her daughter Paula, who died at the age of 28 after a yearlong coma. Allende realized that the only thing you truly have in life and all that matters is that which you give to others, so she now loves freely and gives selflessly in all parts of her life.

Allende is a multi-award winning Chilean American novelist.

Elvia Bautista regularly visits the grave of her brother Rogelio, who was killed by members of a rival gang when he was 16. She also puts flowers on the nearby graves of boys from the opposing gang because she believes that everyone deserves to be remembered.

Bautista is 22 years old and lives in California. She works as a carer and gives talks to young people about the dangers of gang life.

From the 1950s series.

Leonard Bernstein believes in the power of individual people, and in the importance of creative endeavors. He is optimistic about the future of humanity and democracy because people always have the potential to improve.

Bernstein was a classical composer, conductor, and pianist, who focused on the education of young people in his work as the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

William F. Buckley, Jr., believes that the world was created by a sentient and deliberate creator God. He thinks that that this perspective is more logical than it would be to assume that everything is the product of chance.

Buckley is a conservative TV host, author, and editor.

From the 1950s series.

Niven Busch equates his attitude towards faith with his preference for taking the tube over riding in a taxicab. He prefers the sense of community and kinship that comes from travelling or praying in communal spaces, enjoying the humility and fellowship of a church.

Busch was a celebrated novelist and screenwriter.

Benjamin Carson believes in his mother, who used her role as a parent to influence the world through him. She encouraged him in his studies, taught him about the importance of hard work and financial management, and inspired him through hardship and illness with her religious faith.

Carson is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children’s Center, and the founder of a significant college scholarship.

Greg Chapman was raised with many racist, anti-gay, and sexist beliefs. He was deeply unhappy for many decades as he attempted to suppress his attraction to men. Eventually he managed to change his beliefs, and has renounced his former prejudices. He has now accepted his identity as a gay man, joined a more tolerant church, and found love.

Chapman is a tax accountant and writer living in Houston.

Momentarily catching the eye of an approaching driver on the highway at night, Warren Christopher was struck by how dependent each of our safety is on others. The world runs on cooperation, such as when Christopher was forced to rely on the Algerian Foreign Minister as an intermediary to secure the release of hostages from Iran in 1980.

Christopher is a lawyer and diplomat who served as the US Secretary of State.

Mary Cook learnt to accept love and support following the sudden death of her fiancé. She had previously prided herself on her independence, but struggled to cope with bereavement. Relying on others so that she could work through her grief granted her freedom and strength.

Cook lives in an isolated Alaskan town in the Glacier Bay National Park. She works for an air taxi company, and as mail courier, hospice volunteer, and coffeeshop owner.

Norman Corwin believes that acts of courtesy and compassion are rewarded with a feeling of pleasure. Such acts of good can’t cure all of the world’s ills, but they can mitigate some of the effects of its ills. As long as courtesy and compassion are transmitted, Corwin has hope for democracy and progress.

Corwin was a celebrated radio producer during the 1940s. He now teaches journalism at the University of Southern California.

Susan Cosio sometimes feels as though her life gets derailed by the needs and expectations of others. To re-center herself and strengthen her relationship with her God, she takes quiet daily walks to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. These walks grant her insight and inspiration.

Cosio is a chaplain, writer, and mother living in California.

Kathy Dahlen’s Christian faith was reinforced when her college anatomy class observed an autopsy. As the body’s organs were revealed, she discovered that biology alone could not account for the thoughts and feelings which define the human experience. She attributes these elements to the immortal soul and its connection with God.

Dahlen is a freelance writer and volunteer English tutor living in Washington.

From the 1950s series.

William O. Douglas frequently relies on his late father’s final words for strength and guidance: “If I die it will be glory; if I live it will be grace” (49). He shares his father’s Christian faith, and believes that such faith is necessary to protect the freedom and virtue of America.

Douglas was an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. He lived in Washington and fiercely opposed governmental intervention in matters of individual liberty.

From the 1950s series.

Elizabeth Deutsch (Earle) is 16 years old and looks forward to the future with the optimism and naivete of youth. She has too much doubt to commit to a particular church, but follows three principles which transcend dogma: If you see something that needs to be done, then do it; difficult things should be done immediately, impossible things take a little time; and one should never act under the motive of revenge.

This is a follow-up to the 16-year-old Earle (nee Deutsch)’s competition-winning essay for the 1950s series.

Earle holds many of the same beliefs she had at 16, although she has lived a full life in the 50 years since then. Although she has been happy, she now knows how cruel the world can be to others. She still tries to be kind and act righteously, but is no longer religious. She believes that it is important to be mindful and live in the moment, and hopes that she will refine her credo further in the years to come.

Earle is a professor of plant breeding at Cornell University.

From the 1950s series.

Albert Einstein believes that ethical behavior should be done for human rather than divine reasons, although religion offers excellent guidelines. His perspective is one of “cosmic religiosity,” finding wonder in the profound mystery of the universe. He believes in the values of his Jewish heritage: Harmony, justice, compassion, and independence. He hopes that society will learn to better value shared social goals like improved education, economic equality, and service.

Einstein was one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, and won the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics.

Eve Ensler believes that women regain power and autonomy by saying the taboo names for their anatomy, and speaking out about the violence they suffer.

Ensler is an activist, writer, and award-winning playwright living in New York.

Anthony Fauci believes he has a personal responsibility to positively influence society. He pursues public service as a scientist fighting against AIDS and other infectious diseases. His three guiding principles are his insatiable appetite for knowledge, the perpetual pursuit of excellence, and belief that it is his destiny to contain AIDS for the good of society.

Fauci is the lead government advisor on infectious diseases and bioweapons, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and the Head of its HIV, AIDS, Asthma and Allergies Research Division.