Fifties Archives - Page 4 of 89

The essays in this category were recorded and broadcast between 1951 and 1954.

September 17, 2010

Twice I Sought Death

From the 1950s series, Marty Mann describes how her battles with alcoholism and depression forced her to open herself up to those around her, and led her to help other people who suffered with addiction.

September 3, 2010

An Honest Doubter

At 16, Elizabeth Deutsch was the youngest essayist to appear on Edward R. Murrow’s This I Believe. She discusses her search for philosophical and spiritual beliefs that can guide her as an adult. (Read a new essay Deutsch wrote in 2005.)

August 27, 2010

Old Creeds In A New World

United Nations’ Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold gleaned his belief in the value of public service from his family’s line of soldiers, government officials, scholars and clergymen. Hammarskjold said willing fulfillment of duty was an expression of love.

August 20, 2010

These Eternal Truths

As a minister’s daughter, Ruth Cranston knew the teachings of the Bible, but she longed to discover the deeper values that shaped all the world’s religions. Cranston found a belief on which to build her life in the words of Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed.

August 13, 2010

Learning To Get Out Of The Way

Novelist Aldous Huxley said past attempts to improve the world yielded some neat gadgets, indoor plumbing and personal hygiene. Yet Huxley believed individuals could make life better in the future by harnessing intelligence, goodwill and political action.

August 6, 2010

The High Goals of Mankind

ACLU founder Roger Baldwin believed in the lofty goals of abolishing war, ending poverty, resolving racial and international strife, and expanding liberty. While success may not always be possible, Baldwin said there is valor in ceaselessly trying.

July 30, 2010

A Mask Was Stifling Me

After suffering anxiety and insomnia and feeling sick, journalist Lucy Freeman sought a therapist to help her address her fears. Freeman’s experiences in counseling led her to believe that we must accept ourselves before we can truly give and receive love.

July 23, 2010

The Sum Of All Wisdom

As a devout Muslim, Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Khan believes the object of man’s existence is to seek union with God through the cultivation of divine attributes within himself.

July 16, 2010

A Reporter Quotes His Sources

Reporting from Germany during Nazi rule, radio commentator William L. Shirer learned the value of tolerance and freedom. Shirer believes that man’s resilience, especially during times of war, comes from having a rich inner life of reflection and contemplation.