This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 60,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here on our website, heard on public radio, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

We have published two volumes of essay anthologies, the first of which was a New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 250,000 copies to date. Our podcasts are heard each week by more than 175,000 subscribers. Tens of thousands of educators are using our curricula to help their students craft their own personal essays.

This I Believe Podcast

This I Believe 1950s Podcast

Sign up for one or both of our free, weekly podcasts: One includes contemporary essays you've heard on public radio, and one includes essays from the 1950s now being featured on the Bob Edwards Show. You can download recent episodes individually or subscribe to automatically receive each podcast. Click here to learn more.

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This I Believe Launches Fund Drive

This I Believe needs your support to raise $50,000 by the end of July so we can continue to offer you our free podcasts, maintain our online archive of essays, and provide teachers the resources they need to bring This I Believe into their classrooms. Please click here to make your tax-deductible contribution today.

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This I Believe Edward R. Murrow’s This I Believe:
Selections, Vol. 1
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This I Believe II This I Believe II:
More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women
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This I Believe This I Believe:
The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women
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A New Birth Of Freedom

Maximilian Hodder - Hollywood, California
As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, July 3, 2009
Maximilian Hodder
Ed Schipul

From the 1950s series, European film writer and director Maximilian Hodder tells how his detention in a Soviet gulag nearly destroyed his faith in humanity. But when he found freedom in the West, Hodder regained his belief in the goodness of people.

Click here for the full essay...

Recently Featured 1950s Essays

Independence Day

Be Cool To The Pizza Delivery Dude
morgueFile.com

When the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Many essayists for This I Believe share that dedication to the principles on which our country was created. Click the links below to see how a former President, a renowned comic book artist, and others explore their beliefs in freedom, democracy, and government.

  1. Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness
  2. I Help Make Government Work
  3. Finding Security In Fundamental Freedoms
  4. A Public Man
  5. That Old Piece Of Cloth

The History of This I Believe

Photos of Essayists from the 1950s

At the dawn of the Cold War and the height of McCarthyism, Americans from all walks of life bravely spoke their beliefs on the original This I Believe.

As part of its effort to raise $50,000 by the end of July, This I Believe is offering this documentary on the web and via podcast telling the fascinating history of the series hosted by Edward R. Murrow and featuring excerpts of essays by Helen Keller, Harry Truman, Albert Einstein, Martha Graham and many others.

This documentary also tells the story of how the contemporary series was revised in 2005 and became a powerful educational resource for students and teachers around the globe.

We hope you enjoy this show and will consider a donation to help This I Believe continue to showcase beliefs from citizens around the world.