How do you react when a jury summons arrives in your mailbox? Do you dread the thought of sitting in the jury pool, or do you welcome the opportunity to play a crucial role in our system of justice? Click the links below to discover what these essayists believe about jury duty.

1. The Importance of Jury Duty
2. A Gift From Our Democracy
3. To Escape Or Embrace Jury Duty
4. Willful Ignorance

There have been many revolutionary developments in the world of science in the last 100 years. And This I Believe essayists from both the 1950s and today have been at the forefront of some of the most life-changing discoveries in their lifetimes. From Albert Einstein to Brian Greene, click the links below to read the beliefs of these scientists.

1. An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man
2. Science Nourishes the Mind and the Soul
3. Living at the Science-Religion Interface
4. The Power of Mysteries
5. The Tense Middle
6. Nature of the Species

Most elementary school children take art and music lessons during the school day; however, when budget cuts are necessary, these classes are the first to go. And, after primary school, many children don’t have any creative outlet at all. Click the links below to learn why these essayists believe in the importance of creativity.

1. How Do You Believe In A Mystery
2. An Athlete of God
3. Creative Solutions To Life’s Challenges
4. Ideals Don’t Bend
5. Everyone Has Talent

In Philadelphia, an idea was born more than sixty years ago, and it still endures today. At a local Philadelphia radio station in the early 1950s, the idea for This I Believe was born. The international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing their core values has its roots in a place that values optimism, community, and the brotherhood of man. Click the links below to learn the beliefs of these Philadelphians.

1. All Men Are My Brothers
2. Love Without Requirement
3. A New Control of Destiny
4. I Believe in Philadelphia
5. Culture, Practice, and Transformation

The French writer Voltaire called tolerance a “consequence of humanity” and the first law of nature. Yet some of us practice it more successfully than others. Click the links below to read how these essayists seek to exercise true tolerance and acceptance in their lives.

1. Learning True Tolerance
2. Only One Tribe
3. An Invitation to Dialogue
4. Words of the Living God
5. One Person a Day

In the heated debates over political policy, it’s easy to forget that America is largely a nation of immigrants. For those who came to this country from distant lands generations ago, to the recently naturalized citizen, the American dream is a powerful draw for people around the world. Click the links below to learn the beliefs that immigration has inspired in these essayists.

1. My American Dream
2. A New Beginning
3. The Right to Be Fully American
4. An Act Of Faith In America
5. My Journey into the American Dream
6. The America I Believe In

Many a poet has written that blood is thicker than water. But today, blood and DNA do not necessarily define a family. The following essayists agree with Maya Angelou, who said “family isn’t always blood . . . it’s the ones who love you no matter what.”

1. My Family Tree
2. The People Who Love You When No One Else Will
3. Making Family a Verb
4. The Blessings of Step
5. Simple Love Fosters a Family

Hard work can result in the completion of assigned tasks, a steady paycheck, a way to fill time or the simple satisfaction of a job well done. And like many other things in life, work can inspire belief. In honor of Labor Day, click the links below to learn what these essayists believe about their work.

1. Work Is A Blessing
2. Leaving Work to Gaze at Sunsets
3. Living What You Do Every Day
4. Do What You Love
5. A Goal Of Service To Humankind

Many of the world’s religions teach the importance of caring for each other, whether it’s tending to a close family member or showing compassion for a complete stranger. Click the links below to read how these essayists explore the simple acts of kindness that can enrich our own humanity.

1. A Calling We Should Heed
2. Being My Brother’s Keeper
3. Only A Little Less Than Angels
4. A Journey Across America
5. Kindness Equals Survival

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Water understands civilization well,” but how well do we understand water? Until we travel to other parts of the world or experience a drought or water main break, we tend to take water for granted. Take a moment to appreciate the importance of water by reading the thoughts of these essayists.

1. The Last Drop of Water
2. Navigating Turbulent Waters
3. A Delicate Balance
4. With Brown Shoes to Match
5. A Drop in the Bucket