Once again, National Public Radio has changed my ideas of how to use a character quality. I used to think that beliefs had to fall into formal philosophical categories. Wrong.
The History of This I Believe
From their website: “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 radio program hosted by Edward R. Murrow. It included essays by Harry Truman, Margaret Mead, William O. Douglas, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein and other prominent figures of the day.”
Current Essays
Current essays cover a wide variety of topics:
I believe in safety pins.
I believe in the youth of America.
From the point of view of your character, write a This I Believe essay . For examples, read the website or book of essays (available in Spanish, too), 
This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women .
Read more of 15 Days to a Stronger Character.
Related posts:
I love This I Believe–I download the podcast to my mp3 player every week. You’re right–there’s lots to be learned about character there.
Janni–Have you checked out your local affiliate to see if they do local “This I Believe” essays? A friend did one locally, then had her Freshman Comp students write essays for it. Hers was “I Believe in Bicycles.” Great fun.
Darcy
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