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

“Take a moment, then, to consider the beliefs that guide the lives of others, beliefs that may confirm your own, or challenge them, or even open your mind to something new.

When you are done, think about this: What would you say?”

This quote uses the second person pronoun “you” to directly address the reader, and the imperative mood to invite the reader to participate in the proposed thought experiment. This encourages engagement, which is a major goal of the text, by inviting the reader to ponder the books’ essays and how they relate to their own beliefs. The final rhetorical question encourages the reader to pause and consider The Influence of Personal Beliefs on Behavior, and sets the stage for the guidance in the later Appendixes on how to write their own essay.

“Give, give, give—what is the point of having experience, knowledge, or talent if I don’t give it away? Of having stories if I don’t tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don’t share it? I don’t intend to be cremated with any of it!”

Allende uses tripling—threefold repetition—to state important points in an impactful and emphatic rhythm e.g. “give, give, give” and “experience, knowledge, or talent.” She also uses rapid-fire rhetorical questions to support her perspective by implying that her point of view is self-evident.

“We must encourage thought, free and creative. We must respect privacy. We must observe taste by not exploiting our sorrows, successes, or passions. We must learn to know ourselves better through art. We must rely more on the unconscious, inspirational side of man. We must not enslave ourselves to dogma. We must believe in the attainability of good. We must believe, without fear, in people.”

This writer uses anaphora—repetition of the first element(s) in a sequence of sentences or phrases—in his repeated use of “we must.” This repetition emphasizes the significance of this passage, which concisely summarizes the beliefs expressed through the rest of his essay. The anaphora highlights the connections between these different elements of Bernstein’s credo, and adds force to his use of imperatives.

“Susan Cosio is a chaplain at the Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, California. A mother of three, she also writes feature articles for The Davis Enterprise. Cosio’s favorite places to walk are in the mountains or on the beach, as well as through a bird sanctuary near her house.”

This short passage functions as a concise biography of the writer which sheds light on the content of the essay. The simple, matter-of-fact sentences provide contextual information relevant to the author’s beliefs and experiences in a format that is easily digestible and comprehensible to the reader. The neutral and impartial tone is a marked contrast to the personal, confessional voice of the book’s essays, creating further separation between these boxed-off “about the author” sections and the essays themselves.

“This is my youthful philosophy, a simple, liberal, and optimistic feeling, though I fear I may lose some of that as I become more adult […] Still these are my beliefs at sixteen. If I am mistaken, I am too young to realize my error.”

The author emphasizes her own naivety through repeated references to her youth, and the caveat of a potential future reversal to her stated beliefs. She also uses emotional language “optimistic,” “feeling,” “fear,” which shows a certain vulnerability. Her emphasis on the relationship between her age and her beliefs provides the set-up for her second essay, written 50 years later and discussing the differences to her credo after a lifetime of experience.

“I am satisfied with the mystery of life’s eternity and with the awareness of—and glimpse into—the marvelous construction of the existing world together with the steadfast determination to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests in nature. This is the basis of cosmic religiosity, and it appears to me that the most important function of art and science is to awaken this feeling among the receptive and keep it alive.”

Einstein’s use of long and complex sentence structures mirrors the complexity of his nuanced and thoughtful approach to faith. His credo marries concepts such as faith and science, which are often considered in opposition to each other. This is shown through his use of the phrase “cosmic religiosity” as well as his giving equal weight to the importance of “art and science.” He illustrates that spirituality and a scientific mind are not mutually exclusive, and that the complexity of the universe allows for nuance and balance in all aspects of life and faith.

“Think about the word ‘vagina.’ I believe that by saying it 128 times each show, night after night, naming my shame, exorcising my secrets, revealing my longing, was how I came back to my self, into my body. By saying it often enough and loud enough in places where it was not supposed to be said, the saying of it became both political and mystical and gave birth to a worldwide movement to end violence against women.”

Ensler continues her campaign to say taboo words in public contexts by saying the word “vagina” in her essay. In this way, her participation in This I Believe becomes a part of her ongoing act of defiance, and contributes to the linguistic liberation movement she spearheads. She encourages the audience to think deeply on the prejudices and subconscious beliefs which might cause them to feel an emotional reaction to the use of a word for basic female anatomy, while her emphasis on her own feelings and insecurities reflects The Power of Autobiographical Narratives to Foster Empathy.

“Because I have autism, I live by concrete rules instead of abstract beliefs. And because I have autism, I think in pictures and sounds.

Here’s how my brain works: It’s like the search engine Google for images.”

Grandin has a direct, matter-of-fact style which mimics her clear and precise world view. Her repeated use of simple declarative statements illustrates her preference for the “concrete” over the “abstract.” She uses a simile “It’s like the search engine Google” to explain how her mind functions. Grandin’s experience of neurodiversity reflects the collection’s commitment to highlighting Diversity in Contemporary Society.

“I wouldn’t want a whole newsroom, hospital, platoon, or—God forbid—a nation of us. But in periods of crisis, when passions are high and certainty runs rabid, it’s good to have a few of us on hand.”

Gup provides a balanced assessment of his value as a “Wobbly”—his term for those who are more ambivalent than others in espousing concrete, dogmatic beliefs. He describes how an organization of likeminded individuals, Wobbly or not, is inherently inferior to one with diversity. His use of the interjection “God forbid” injects a self-deprecating humor into his prose, contributing to the informal, conversational tone of his essay.

“I consider myself a feminist, and I feel like a moron admitting it, but it’s true: I believe in Barbie […] It’s only as an adult that I realized that my belief in Barbie is really a belief in my own imagination, in whoever I imagined I could be, and whatever I imagined I could do.”

The two halves of this quote bookend Hamill’s essay in the first and final paragraphs respectively, making the essay seem self-contained, complete, and rhetorically sound. The first sentence is an introduction  to the main body of the essay which is both self-deprecating and humorous. The final sentence seeks to justify the seeming incongruity between Hamill’s feminist beliefs and her belief in Barbie (given that Barbie has been subject to highly-publicized criticism from feminist commentators and activists).

“From all this evidence, could I not build up a strong case to prove why I am not happy at all? I could, but it would be a false picture, as false as if I were to describe a tree only as it looks in winter.”

The author of this quote uses hypophora—a question which is immediately answered by the asker “could I not […] ? I could.” He then subverts this anticipated expectation by indicating that the opposite is true through the simile “as false as if” which uses a natural image.

“Many of us continue ceremonies that ensure a connection with the sun. After dancing all night in a circle we realize that we are a part of a larger sense of stars and planets dancing with us overhead. When the run rises at the apex of the ceremony, we are renewed. There is no mistaking this connection, though Wal-Mart might be just down the road.”

Harho repeatedly uses the plural first person to describe her involvement in the ceremony, illustrating the extent to which the experience is communal, and highlighting the sense of connection that it creates. The dancing of the worshippers is associated with the movement of the heavenly bodies, which is also characterized as dancing. The exultant spirituality of this ceremony is grounded in the real, mundane world, preserving an important cultural practice and reflecting The Influence of Personal Beliefs on Behavior.

“Now you see the difference: In a democracy, if you are president, then the troops obey you. In a dictatorship, if the troops obey you, then you are president.”

This quote is an example of the parallel structure chiasmus, because the elements of the first phrase, “if you are president, then the troops obey you,” are repeated and inverted so that they create a phrase consisting of the same elements in a different order: “[I]f the troops obey you, then you are president.” This technique juxtaposes the two types of government by reversing the cause-and-effect relationships.

“To man, time is given like a piece of land, as it were, entrusted to him for faithful tilling; a space in which to strive incessantly, achieve self-realization, move onward and upward. Yes, with the aid of time, man becomes capable of wresting the immortal from the mortal.”

In this quote, Mann uses an analogy to equate time with a piece of land which must be tilled. This comparison helps to explain concepts like mortality and a lifetime of self-actualization by associating them with the familiar process of farming.

“On the other hand, our beliefs about some things are very important. These are things subject to the Tinkerbell effect—that is, they exist only so long as we believe in them. One of these is the rule of law.”

The “Tinkerbell effect” is an expression named for the fictional character Tinker Bell from J. M. Barrie’s (1860-1937) Peter Pan. As a fairy, Tinker Bell’s existence is predicated on other people believing that she exists. In highlighting how “rule of law” only exists through collective belief, the author reinforces The Influence of Personal Beliefs on Behavior at a communal level.

“Hearing him tell me of his suffering—and my complicity—is the single most humiliating experience of my life.

My friend needed more than my silent presence at the lunch table. I realize now that to believe in pluralism means I need the courage to act on it. Action is what separates a belief from an opinion.”

In this quote, Patel shows great vulnerability by admitting his failure and his emotional response to that failure, reflecting The Power of Autobiographical Narratives to Foster Empathy. It also offers reassurance to those who have not yet met Patel’s current standards of activism by showing through his own journey how improvement is possible. Patel’s strong belief in the importance of interfaith dialogue and respect for pluralism also speaks to Diversity in Contemporary Society.

“An America that lives by a Constitution that inspires freedom and democracy around the world. An America with a big, open, charitable heart that reaches out to people in need around the world. An America that sometimes seems confused and is always noisy—that noise has a name; it’s called democracy, and we use it to work through out confusion. An America that is still the beacon of light to the darkest corner of the world.”

This quote includes the rhetorical technique of anaphora, which is the repetition of a phrase—in this case “An America”—at the beginning of subsequent sentences. This connects the different traits that Powell attributes to his vision of America, building up a rhythm which creates emphasis and is meant to evoke an emotional response.

“I considered some of the awful things my grandparents and great-grandparents had seen in their lifetimes: two world wars, killer flu, segregation, a nuclear bomb. But they saw other things, too, better things: the end of two world wars, the polio vaccine, passage of the civil rights laws. They even saw the Red Sox win the World Series—twice.”

Rittenberg lists some of the greatest calamities of the 20th century, followed by some of humanity’s greatest triumphs. Doing so emphasizes and juxtaposes the extremes of good and bad which prior generations have witnessed, simultaneously justifying Rittenberg’s father’s trepidation for the future, as well as Rittenberg’s own optimism. The final sentence lightens the mood of this quote through humor: By finishing on a comparatively minor and “silly” positive addendum to the list, the writer subverts reader expectations and breaks the tension.

“I believe—I know—there is no such thing as too much barbecue. Good, bad, or in-between, old-fashioned pit-smoked or high-tech and modern; it doesn’t matter. Existing without gimmickry, without the infernal swindles and capering of so much of contemporary cuisine, barbecue is truth; it is history and home, and the only thing I don’t believe is that I’ll ever get enough.”

The self-correction of “I believe—I know” creates an informal conversational tone, while also lending authority and weight to the subsequent statement by virtue of its author’s certainty. Sheehan goes on to list a litany of mutually-exclusive types of barbeque to emphasize that his belief extends to all variations. The final part of the quote “the only thing I don’t believe” is a humorous repetition and inversion of the original assertion “I believe.”

“I believe in politics. In addition to being great fun, politics is basically the peaceable resolution of conflict among legitimate competing interests.”

Shields creates a rhetorical argument by stating his opinion simply and clearly in the first sentence, followed immediately by an authoritative explanation of his justification in the second sentence. The inclusion of the humorous assertion that politics is also “great fun”—a marked contrast to the generally accepted view that politics is serious business—adds a sense of levity.

“When I was born, a blind, Buddhist monk living alone in the Burmese jungle, predicted that my birth would bring great prosperity to the family. To ensure this prosperity, I was to feed monkeys on my birthday.”

Taw offers colorful details of his life in rapid succession without explanation. The inclusion of evocative information—such as the fact that the monk lived alone and was blind—paints a vivid picture of events. Taw’s manner of storytelling is cinematic, mythologizing his own history through the idea of prophecy.

“But I can’t honestly call myself a believing Christian in the traditional sense. To imagine that one’s own church, civilization, nation, or family is the chosen people is, I believe, as wrong as it would be to imagine that I myself am God.”

In this quote, the author uses a simile ‘as wrong as” to equate the assumption that one’s own church (etc.) is correct with the belief that one is oneself God. In doing so, he equates a belief that is orthodox and central to Christian dogma with a belief that is taboo and heretical. By aligning these diametrically opposed beliefs, he undermines the conventional dogmas of Christianity and justifies his own non-traditional take on religion, reflecting the Diversity in Contemporary Society.

“We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is—it requires intense self examination, and many find it difficult to begin. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions.

Tell a story: […] Be brief: […] Name your belief: […] Be positive […] Be personal”

The invitation to contribute is immediately followed by an acknowledgement of the associated difficulties so as to address any hesitance on the reader’s part. The guidance is divided into short paragraphs under clear subtitles so that it is easy and accessible. Each subheading gives a single concise command which is then elaborated on in the subsequent paragraph. This systematic formatting allows the chapter to function as a practical instructional guide, and facilitates quick referencing.