Diplomat Chester Bowles believes each person has a responsibility to uphold the truths and ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. In doing so, Bowles says, we live lives worth saving.
Historian Will Durant spent much of his life chronicling human civilization. He believes our highest virtues are those that promote survival of the group over the individual. Durant, a one-time socialist, says too much liberty can be a dangerous thing.
In her youth, Verona Wylie Slater’s beliefs were shaped by her father, a Presbyterian minister, and by her brothers, who were writers. As an adult, Slater embraced the traits she wanted to embody as a woman and mother: wisdom, gentleness and bravery.
Arnold Toynbee says everyone has certain skills and knowledge, yet what makes us truly human is how we relate to other people. The noted historian believes that suffering is not only inevitable but it is indispensable in gaining a lifelong education.
Movie writer Niven Busch appreciated the solitude of a horseback ride on his ranch. But he also valued the bustle and chaos of a subway trip in a crowded city. Busch believed these journeys allowed him to better connect with his fellow wayfarers.
Lyricist and Broadway producer Oscar Hammerstein believed himself to be a happy man despite the personal disappointments and global conflicts he witnessed. Inspired by nature, Hammerstein says his happiness came from embracing his own imperfections.
Maria von Trapp and her husband were puzzled by a Bible verse that says only those who “become like little children” gain entry to heaven. By observing their own ten children, Trapp came to believe that meant living simply, directly, and in the moment.
From the 1950s series, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist James Michener tells how the people he met during World War II informed his belief in the brotherhood of mankind. Michener says tolerance and kindness can overcome differences in race, culture, and language.
Whether athlete, laborer, executive or artist, legendary sportscaster Red Barber believes man is, ultimately, a spiritual being. Barber says the spiritual aspects of how a person thinks guide how he lives, works, and grapples with mysteries of existence.
