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108 Belief Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Belief Essay Topic Ideas & Examples: Exploring the Depths of Human Faith

Beliefs shape our identity, influence our actions, and provide meaning and purpose to our lives. They can be deeply personal or widely shared, encompassing religious, philosophical, political, or cultural perspectives. Writing an essay on beliefs allows us to delve into the complexities of human faith, understanding how it impacts individuals and societies. To inspire your exploration, here are 108 belief essay topic ideas and examples.

Religious Beliefs:

  • The role of religion in shaping individual identity.
  • The impact of religious beliefs on personal happiness and fulfillment.
  • Analyzing the connection between religious beliefs and moral values.
  • The role of rituals and ceremonies in religious practices.
  • The significance of religious symbols and their interpretation.
  • Exploring the concept of faith and its importance in religious contexts.
  • The relationship between religious beliefs and the afterlife.
  • The influence of religious beliefs on social and political issues.
  • Comparing and contrasting religious beliefs across different cultures.
  • The impact of religious beliefs on attitudes towards science and technology.

Philosophical Beliefs:

  • The significance of personal philosophies in guiding life choices.
  • Analyzing the connection between philosophy and morality.
  • The role of reason and logic in shaping philosophical beliefs.
  • Exploring the concept of free will and its implications on belief systems.
  • The relationship between philosophy and religion in shaping worldviews.
  • The impact of philosophical beliefs on ethical decision-making.
  • The influence of philosophical beliefs on political ideologies.
  • Examining the concept of truth and its interpretation in different philosophical traditions.
  • The role of skepticism and doubt in challenging existing belief systems.
  • The connection between philosophical beliefs and the pursuit of knowledge.

Political Beliefs:

  • The influence of political beliefs on individual values and actions.
  • Analyzing the connection between political ideology and social justice.
  • Exploring the role of political beliefs in shaping public policies.
  • The impact of political beliefs on attitudes towards globalization.
  • The relationship between political beliefs and economic systems.
  • The connection between political beliefs and attitudes towards immigration.
  • The influence of political beliefs on environmental policies and sustainability.
  • Examining the role of political beliefs in shaping international relations.
  • The significance of political beliefs in promoting social equality and inclusivity.
  • The impact of political beliefs on attitudes towards human rights.

Cultural Beliefs:

  • The role of cultural beliefs in shaping individual and collective identities.
  • Analyzing the impact of cultural beliefs on gender roles and expectations.
  • Exploring the concept of cultural relativism and its implications on belief systems.
  • The influence of cultural beliefs on attitudes towards marriage and family.
  • The connection between cultural beliefs and artistic expressions.
  • The impact of cultural beliefs on attitudes towards education and learning.
  • Examining the role of cultural beliefs in promoting social cohesion.
  • The significance of cultural beliefs in shaping dietary choices and food practices.
  • The influence of cultural beliefs on attitudes towards aging and death.
  • The connection between cultural beliefs and perceptions of beauty and body image.

Personal Beliefs:

  • The role of personal beliefs in shaping individual goals and aspirations.
  • Analyzing the impact of personal beliefs on decision-making processes.
  • Exploring the connection between personal beliefs and self-esteem.
  • The influence of personal beliefs on attitudes towards risk-taking.
  • The significance of personal beliefs in promoting mental well-being.
  • The impact of personal beliefs on attitudes towards relationships and love.
  • Examining the role of personal beliefs in cultivating resilience and perseverance.
  • The connection between personal beliefs and attitudes towards personal growth.
  • The influence of personal beliefs on attitudes towards material possessions.
  • The significance of personal beliefs in shaping attitudes towards failure and success.

Controversial Beliefs:

  • Analyzing controversial beliefs and their impact on social dynamics.
  • The role of controversial beliefs in fostering critical thinking and debate.
  • Exploring the connection between controversial beliefs and social progress.
  • The influence of controversial beliefs on attitudes towards marginalized groups.
  • Examining the role of controversial beliefs in shaping media narratives.
  • The significance of controversial beliefs in challenging societal norms.
  • The impact of controversial beliefs on freedom of speech and expression.
  • The connection between controversial beliefs and social activism.
  • The influence of controversial beliefs on attitudes towards authority.
  • The role of controversial beliefs in promoting empathy and understanding.

Scientific Beliefs:

  • The impact of scientific beliefs on attitudes towards the natural world.
  • Analyzing the connection between scientific beliefs and evidence-based thinking.
  • Exploring the role of scientific beliefs in shaping technological advancements.
  • The influence of scientific beliefs on attitudes towards health and medicine.
  • The significance of scientific beliefs in promoting environmental conservation.
  • The connection between scientific beliefs and attitudes towards climate change.
  • Examining the role of scientific beliefs in shaping educational curricula.
  • The impact of scientific beliefs on attitudes towards animal rights and welfare.
  • The connection between scientific beliefs and attitudes towards genetic engineering.
  • The influence of scientific beliefs on attitudes towards the origin of life.

Historical Beliefs:

  • The role of historical beliefs in shaping cultural identities.
  • Analyzing the impact of historical beliefs on nationalistic ideologies.
  • Exploring the connection between historical beliefs and historical revisionism.
  • The influence of historical beliefs on attitudes towards war and conflict.
  • The significance of historical beliefs in shaping collective memory.
  • The impact of historical beliefs on attitudes towards colonialism and imperialism.
  • Examining the role of historical beliefs in shaping political ideologies.
  • The connection between historical beliefs and attitudes towards immigration.
  • The influence of historical beliefs on attitudes towards human rights.
  • The role of historical beliefs in promoting intercultural understanding.

Literary and Artistic Beliefs:

  • The significance of literary and artistic beliefs in shaping cultural movements.
  • Analyzing the connection between literary and artistic beliefs and social change.
  • Exploring the role of literary and artistic beliefs in challenging societal norms.
  • The influence of literary and artistic beliefs on attitudes towards censorship.
  • The connection between literary and artistic beliefs and the pursuit of beauty.
  • Examining the impact of literary and artistic beliefs on self-expression.
  • The role of literary and artistic beliefs in promoting empathy and understanding.
  • The significance of literary and artistic beliefs in shaping collective memory.
  • The influence of literary and artistic beliefs on attitudes towards social justice.
  • The connection between literary and artistic beliefs and the imagination.

Media and Technology Beliefs:

  • The impact of media and technology beliefs on attitudes towards information consumption.
  • Analyzing the connection between media and technology beliefs and political polarization.
  • Exploring the role of media and technology beliefs in shaping public opinion.
  • The influence of media and technology beliefs on attitudes towards privacy.
  • The connection between media and technology beliefs and the digital divide.
  • Examining the impact of media and technology beliefs on online communities.
  • The role of media and technology beliefs in shaping media literacy.
  • The significance of media and technology beliefs in promoting digital citizenship.
  • The influence of media and technology beliefs on attitudes towards artificial intelligence.
  • The connection between media and technology beliefs and social media activism.

Environmental Beliefs:

  • The impact of environmental beliefs on attitudes towards sustainability.
  • Analyzing the connection between environmental beliefs and environmental policies.
  • Exploring the role of environmental beliefs in shaping consumer behavior.
  • The influence of environmental beliefs on attitudes towards climate change.
  • The connection between environmental beliefs and attitudes towards resource conservation.
  • Examining the impact of environmental beliefs on attitudes towards animal rights.
  • The role of environmental beliefs in promoting environmental education.
  • The significance of environmental beliefs in shaping attitudes towards eco-friendly practices.

These belief essay topic ideas and examples provide a starting point for your exploration of the intricate tapestry of human faith. Remember to approach each topic with curiosity, open-mindedness, and respect for diverse perspectives. By delving into these beliefs, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

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personal belief essay ideas

50 I Believe Essay Topics

To better train students on how to present their personal opinions on subjective matters, teachers will assign what is known as an “I Believe” or “This I Believe” essay writing assignment.

Designed to provide the reader with insight into the writer’s character, these essays are typically written in first-person point of view. The writer shares their beliefs on a particular topic – ranging from religion and politics to more personal subjects such as love and happiness – and offers supporting arguments for why they hold these beliefs.

The Challenges of Writing “I Believe” Essays

This type of essay prompt is a welcome break from more detail-oriented or researched-based writing assignments for many students. However, “I believe” essay writing assignments aren’t always easy.

It can be challenging for students to articulate their beliefs in a clear and concise way that isn’t argumentative or offensive to the reader. Students may also struggle to explain their reasoning behind these beliefs in a thorough and not overly simplistic way.

Despite these challenges, “I believe” essays can be an excellent opportunity for students to share their thoughts and feelings on important topics and learn more about themselves in the process.

Tips for Writing “I Believe” Essays

If you’re given an “I believe” essay assignment, here are a few tips to help you get started:

  • Start by defining what it is that you believe. This may seem like a simple task, but it can be challenging to identify your core beliefs. If you’re struggling, start by jotting down a list of topics that are important to you – from politics and religion to family and friendship.
  • Reflect on why each topic is important to you. Think about the reasoning behind your choices and how these reasons evolved over time. After all, your core beliefs are likely to have changed or grown since you reached adolescence.
  • Determine which of your beliefs are the most important. Focusing on developing thought processes that support your beliefs. For extra help, consider sharing these thoughts with a trusted friend or family member for advice.

By reflecting upon your core beliefs and developing clear arguments to support them, you can craft a powerful “I believe” essay that will truly reflect your thoughts and feelings.

How to Write an “I Believe” Essay

To craft a well-written “I Believe” essay, students must forgo the typical essay structure of introduction, body, and conclusion.

Instead, the essay should be organized around a series of specific beliefs that the writer wishes to share. Each thought should be introduced with a clear thesis statement, followed by supporting arguments and examples.

The conclusion of the essay should wrap up the main points that have been made and leave the reader with a final thought to ponder.

Here is an example of how an “I Believe” essay might be structured:

Thesis: I believe that everyone has the right to love and be loved.

Argument: Everyone deserves to find love and experience happiness in their lives. This should not be limited by race, religion, socioeconomic status, or any other factor.

Example: I saw a video of a man proposing to his girlfriend at Fenway Park. She said yes and the crowd went wild! Now that is love. If they can find it, then so can we all!

Conclusion: Society should not stand in the way of love. Love is the most powerful force in the world, and we should all embrace it.

As you can see, the “I Believe” essay structure allows for a great deal of flexibility. Students can choose to focus on a variety of topics and can organize their essays in different ways. An “I Believe” essay can be an excellent opportunity for students to present their thoughts on important issues under a few simple guidelines. With a bit of planning and organization, this type of essay writing assignment can be a breeze!

What You Shouldn’t Do When Writing an “I Believe” Essay

To ensure that you are writing an “I Believe” essay and not another form of an argumentative or persuasive essay, avoid doing the following:

  • Don’t provide evidence or use statistics to support your position – this is not an essay that calls for research.
  • Don’t attack or criticize the beliefs of others – your goal is to share your own opinions, not to tear down those of others.
  • Don’t go off on tangents – stay focused on the main points you want to make.
  • Don’t speak objectively or in the third person – for example, don’t say “people believe that” or “studies show.”
  • Don’t use filler words and phrases such as “I think,” “I feel,” and “it seems like.”

Use any of these 50 “I Believe” essay topics to help you brainstorm ideas for your essay!

I Believe Essay Topics About Life

  • I believe that life is too short to spend time with people who bring you down.
  • I believe that laughter is the best medicine
  • I believe that we should make time for quiet reflection every day.
  • I believe that the only thing that matters in life is love.
  • I believe that we are all capable of change.
  • I believe that it is never too late to learn and grow.
  • I believe in the power of positive thinking.
  • I believe that we should always be kind, even when it is difficult.
  • I believe that there is no such thing as a coincidence.
  • I believe in the saying “what goes around, comes around.”
  • I believe that we are all responsible for our own happiness.
  • I believe that the best things in life are free.
  • I believe that it is essential to be grateful for what we have.
  • I believe that it is never too late to achieve our dreams.
  • I believe that we should surround ourselves with people who make us better.
  • I believe that you can either love or hate something; there is no in-between.

I Believe Essay Topics About Education & School

  • I believe that education is the key to a bright future
  • I believe that children are our future and should be treasured as such.
  • I believe that there is no such thing as a dumb question.
  • I believe that schools should do more to celebrate diversity.
  • I believe that homework is essential, but it should not be excessive.
  • I believe in the importance of having a strong support system while attending school.
  • I believe that standardized tests are not an accurate measure of a student’s knowledge.
  • I believe that it is vital to find a balance between work and play while in school.
  • I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to swim.
  • I believe in the importance of recess and physical activity in students’ lives.
  • I believe that there is no such thing as a bad grade.
  • I believe that teachers deserve more respect and better pay.
  • I believe that it is never too early to learn a foreign language.
  • I believe that education should be free for everyone.

I Believe Essay Topics About Friends & Family

  • I believe that family is the most important thing in life.
  • I believe that friends are the family we choose for ourselves.
  • I believe that it is essential to maintain close relationships with friends and family.
  • I believe that there is no substitute for quality time spent with loved ones.
  • I believe that family is not defined by blood but by love and commitment.
  • I believe that we should spend more time with the people we care about and less time worrying about material things.
  • I believe that it is better to have a few close friends than many superficial ones.
  • I believe that it is healthy for friends to grow apart.
  • I believe that competition between friends is healthy.

I Believe Essay Topics About Money

  • I believe that money cannot buy happiness.
  • I believe that it is essential to be happy with what you have, not what you want.
  • I believe that people are more important than things.
  • I believe that it is okay to splurge on something even if it means going into debt.
  • I believe that it is better to give than to receive.
  • I believe that money can’t buy everything.
  • I believe that the love of money is the root of all evil.
  • I believe in saving for a rainy day.
  • I believe in investing in oneself.
  • I believe in the saying, “money doesn’t grow on trees.”
  • I believe that rich people should be forced to pay more taxes.

These 50 I Believe essay topics are sure to inspire your own original beliefs and help you create a powerful and unique essay. When writing your I Believe essay, be sure to focus on the beliefs that are most important to you and that you feel passionate about discussing. The best I Believe essays are the ones that are personal and reflective, so don’t be afraid to share your own thoughts and experiences.

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🏆 best essay topics on belief, ✍️ belief essay topics for college, 👍 good belief research topics & essay examples, 📌 easy belief essay topics, 🎓 most interesting belief research titles, 💡 simple belief essay ideas, ❓ belief systems research questions.

  • Religion as a Belief System: What Is It?
  • James Fowler’s Six Stages of Faith
  • Faith and Reason: Critical Analysis of Faith
  • Faith Healing in Bioethics, Its Pros and Cons
  • Faith, Doubt, and Religious Vision in the ‘Uphill’ Poem
  • “Night” by Elie Wiesel and His Faith in God
  • Theological Reasoning as a Basis for Faith
  • Obedience in Faith in the Story of Abraham Among the examples of steadiness and firmness in faith, few parts of the Holy Scripture are as impactful in this respect as the story of Abraham.
  • A Belief in Helping Strangers One of the benefits of being helpful to people is the fact that all manner of kindness has the tendency to spread, and good deeds rarely go unrewarded.
  • Importance of Having Faith for People Faith starts small and inside a person and can take many forms, it is important for human interaction and maintaining motivation, but it does not have to be religious.
  • A Belief System From Personal Point of View This paper discusses how one’s beliefs make up a religious belief system, how one acquires it, the benefits and disadvantages of having a particular religious belief system.
  • Childhood Obesity Study and Health Belief Model A field experiment will be used in the research to identify the impact of a healthy lifestyle intervention on children diagnosed with obesity.
  • Collaborating Community Nursing and Faith-Based Nursing The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate community nursing collaboration with faith-based nursing. Faith-based nursing is delivered by various religious or faith-based organizations.
  • Explaining James’s Statement “Faith Without Works Is Dead” The paper states that Paul emphasizes the justification with God apart from the works of Law, whereas James argues that believers’ actions should support the true living faith.
  • A Statement and Defense of Faith in Literature Everyone has faith – from the irrational religious zealot to the fervent philosopher and the meticulous scientist.
  • The Influence of Faith and Reason on a Person Faith and reason are the most important determinants of both human character and the choices they make in regard to daily living.
  • Philosophy: A Change in a Personal Belief Everyone in the world is changing, as well as acquiring new knowledge, being convinced or questioning certain concepts, believing, hoping, or doubting.
  • Faith Factor and Mental Health in Young People The necessity to appeal to the emotional state of the patient often serves as the justification for introducing the concept of faith into the process of therapy.
  • The Christian Faith and Its Advantages The paper states that the Christian faith emphasizes the importance of peace and readiness to forgive, critical for the modern world.
  • Rastafarianism Belief System, Sacredness, Rituals Rastafarianism is a religion that even though not as old as Christianity, it has many followers around the world.
  • The Role of Faith in Social Work Social workers integrate faith in their profession using models like the latent and coping integration frameworks.
  • Philosophy About the Soul and Fundamental Belief Axiology concerns the origin of values, their place in everyday life, the relationship of various matters with each other, social and cultural factors, and personality structure.
  • “The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford In the essay “Ethics of Belief”, William Clifford argues that no one, choosing what to believe, can be free from the opinions of others.
  • Aspects of Faith Stages Development There are four stages of adulthood related to faith that can occur: Synthetic-Conventional, Individuative-Reflective, Conjunctive, and Universalizing faith.
  • Poverty, Faith, and Justice: ”Liberating God of Life” by Elizabeth Johnson “Liberating God of Life Context: Wretched Poverty” by Johnson constructs that the main goal of human beings is to combat structural violence toward the poor.
  • Baha’i Faith as a Global Religion The article is devoted to Baha’i Faith: the history of origin, essence, basic values, and uniqueness of this religion are discussed.
  • Muslim Faith and Healthcare Relationship This paper discusses the relationship between the Muslim faith and health care. Cultural backgrounds have a significant effect on a person’s attitudes toward health care.
  • Elie Wiesel’s “Night” – Eliezer’s Faith in God The Elie Wiesel’s story “Night” reminisces Jews’ suffering during the holocaust. The book reflects what happened in Germany and its colonies during the Nazi era.
  • Elie Wiesel’s The Night – Faith in God Literature Analysis In his book Night, Elie Wiesel explores a variety of themes. One of them is the attempts of a person to reconcile one’s experiences with the belief in God.
  • Religion and Faith for a Better World Religion and faith make a very pivotal aspect within the social setting because of the significant influence it has on the well-being and existence of individuals.
  • Selflessness in Islamic Belief and Practice The paper argues zakat is a way to connect with God because is an expression of love and submission to Allah showing that a Muslim values faith more than material possessions.
  • The Social Aspects Affecting Faith Ringgold’s Art Faith Ringgold is one of the most well-known representatives of the modern African American creative community.
  • Religion and Belief: Comprehensive Review The study of these phenomena is crucial for understanding the peculiarities of the society, its background, current context, and further tendencies of development.
  • Faith in “The Hollow Men” and “The Funeral Blues” The current essay is dedicated to the analysis of the theme of faith in Thomas Stearns Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” and Wystan Hugh Auden’s “The Funeral Blues.”
  • Religion: Jain Belief and Practice in South Asia This paper will focus on the historical development of Jain belief and practice in South Asia. The paper will also delve into the three Jainism doctrines.
  • Scientific Worldview, Faith, and Reason Comparison There is a group of people who argue that science is just a myth and, like other religious doctrines, it is based on faith.
  • Job’s Story: Demonstration of Suffering and Faith The story of Job in the Book of Job is a prime biblical reflection on the concept of suffering and the test of faith.
  • The Complementary Nature of Faith and Reason This article explores the relationship between faith and reason and argues that while they cannot be derived from each other, they complement each other in decision-making.
  • “Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America” by Edward Moore Kennedy This research paper examines the key points of the speech “Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America” by Edward Moore Kennedy.
  • My Testimony of Faith: Dialogue with an Atheist The controversy about God’s existence between atheists and those who believe in the reasonability of religion lasts for hundreds of years
  • “Twentieth Century Crisis of Belief” by Marheine This work briefly describes the article “Twentieth-Century Crisis of Belief”, draws attention to the main issues raised in it, and appeals to the problems of today.
  • Religious Faith During the Era of Francois Voltaire Voltaire was born in the final years of the seventeenth century and died a decade before the beginning of the French Revolution.
  • Eliezer’s Faith Struggle in “Night” by Wiesel Wiesel’s novel “Night” demonstrates Eliezer’s experience and struggle with faith as an example of how the majority of the Jews felt during the holocaust.
  • People’s Belief in God in Wiesel’s Novel “Night” Eliezer Wiesel, in his novel Night, succeeded in exposing the illusionary essence of people’s belief in God as an omnipotent entity that is supposed to be taking care of them.
  • Mary Rowlandson’s Story as a Faith Narrative Rowlandson’s story is a faith narrative that celebrates God’s will and desire for everything and emphasizes the importance of belief and purity, which is rewarded by God’s favor.
  • Eliezer’s Struggle to Keep His Faith in God Elie’s journey did lead him to doubting the concept of faith and the quest ended up with the reconciliation with Elie’s own religious beliefs and his final commitment to God.
  • Religious Prejudice in “Defender of the Faith” by Roth The article is an analysis of the issues raised by Philip Roth in his novel Defender of the Faith: Anti-Semitism and Religious Prejudice.
  • Socrates’ Belief About the Pursuit of Truths From Plato’s dialogues, we have known Socrates to be a person who contributed greatly to the field of ethics and the Socratic critical method of inquiry for seeking the truth.
  • The Faith in God in Night by Elie Wiesel Night by Elie Wiesel speaks of the way Eliezer changes and how his faith in God is tested. It will be a good idea to take a look back at the original Biblical story.
  • Faith Integration Into Business Administration Programs Christians can trust that God will give us the strength to persevere and the courage to take risks. Faith integration is a key part of MBA success.
  • Faith Integration: Bible With Apocrypha Religion is an instrumental component of any society that shapes almost every aspect of human life, including business activities.
  • Soulful Reflections: Dickinson and Herbert’s Metaphysical Poetry on Life and Faith Many famous writers have put their lives into their characters, not to forget their character traits but also to show their lives through the eyes of others.
  • The Core of Christian Belief: Where Is Jesus? The Creeds not only teach Christians that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and a divine man but also propose the meaning of authentic kingship or leadership.
  • Faith Integration in 1 Peter 1:13-21 Message 1 Peter 1:13-21 is a compelling message that was written to the Gentile Christians that were being persecuted which remind them that God had chosen them.
  • Birth Control and Christian Faith The Catholic church, and faith as a whole, does not have a solid definitive stance on birth control, as it is determined on the basis of intent.
  • Terrorism: The Faith-Based Discourses Although there are many discourses regarding the role of God and religion in terrorism, there are some similarities in what Falwell, the Jewish extremists, and Sayyid Qutb believe.
  • The Faith of the Mongols and Other Conquered Tribes Throughout the thirteenth century, the Mongols of Central Asia marched across much of Eurasia, bringing ruin and chaos in their wake.
  • Spirituality, Faith, and Placebo Effects on Health This paper strives to define spirituality, religious faith, placebos, and their anticipated health benefits for patients suffering from various diseases.
  • Creative Layering of Belief in Southern Bénin This paper will analyze African religions and spirituality, emphasizing the Benin culture in West Africa. he spirits are believed to be the sole healers and they answer prayers.
  • Peculiarities of Religious Belief in Theology The intended audience is theologians and religious communities as well as all people interested in the issue of belief.
  • The Book “The Future of Faith” by Harvey Cox The book “The Future of Faith,” authored by Harvey Cox, presents an interesting insight into the historical changes taking place in religion, specifically spirituality.
  • “The Articles of 21st-Century Faith”: Reimagining the Definition of Religion “The Articles of 21st-century Faith” attempts to reimagine the definition of religion to fit realistic expectations set by an increasingly atheistic society.
  • Which Belief Was the First: An Eternal Debate In his study, Akbar extensively compares Islamic and Zoroastrian teachings and points out substantial similarities, especially about the afterlife and the journey of a human soul.
  • Improving Students’ Knowledge of Catholic Faith The research question of this article is how American Catholic youth’s lack of knowledge of their faiths can be amended.
  • Idolatry in Peru and Eradication of Faith This paper provides a personal opinion on the extirpation of idolatry in Peru and conclusions on measures taken by the Holy Church against the traditions of these communities.
  • Religious Beliefs: Reasons Behind the Faith Religious beliefs and the reasons behind them are very personal matters, and different people are likely to offer varying accounts and testimonies of faith.
  • Is Religious Belief Anti-Scientific Religious belief and science have always been on opposite sides. This conflict had its roots in the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church persecuted Galileo.
  • “Propositional Faith: What it is and What it is Not” Article Review Daniel Howard-Snyder dedicates his article “Propositional faith: What it is and what it is not” to the topic of faith.
  • Manifestations of Faith in 16th-Century Writers’ Famous Works The works by John Donne, William Shakespeare, and Christopher Marlowe were examined in this essay and compared based on writers’ attitudes towards the topic of faith.
  • Overview of Abolitionism: Afire with Faith Although abolitionist societies were scattered across the North, they were not “tiny”, and still had great importance in terms of advocating for an immediate end to slavery
  • Belief Systems in Projecting the Future The article argues in the context of communication, belief systems can have a critical influence on critical steps of encoding and decoding.
  • The Psychology of Faith in False Sources This report refutes the plausibility of false medical claims throughout the pandemic by critically analyzing its components.
  • Terror and Religious Belief System Contemporary fourth wave terrorists justify their use of violence through the theological and moral teachings taken from their chosen religious belief system.
  • Implications of Faith and Leadership in a Real-Life Experience Nurses focus on the physiological, psychosocial, as well as spiritual aspects of persons during times of illness and in good health.
  • Bad Faith Law Suit: Activities of a Claim Representative In case of a lawsuit of bad faith against an insured, a claim representative would be expected to perform some specific activities to make the lawsuit successful.
  • Faith and Science: Did Darwin Kill God? Did Darwin Kill God?, a documentary movie by Dr. Conor Cunningham, professor of the University of Nottingham, correlates with the classic definition of God.
  • Faith Integration in the “I Am Legend” Film In “I Am Legend” the media clip is expressive, and, at the same time, it makes me think about some aspects of the medical personnel work.
  • Teaching the Faith Forming the Faithful The book under analysis called Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful is dedicated to discussing the current environment in terms of people’s affiliation to church.
  • “Night” by Elie Wiesel: Struggle to Keep Faith in God Sort of a “shipwreck of faith”, this is what has happened to the author of “Night” book, laureate of the Nobel Prize, Elie Wiesel.
  • Political History. Crisis of Belief in Different Works This essay attempts to clarify and assess the diverging views by different authors on how a crisis of belief elicits mixed reactions.
  • Is Belief in God Rational: Discussion This paper seeks to examine not the existence of God or negation, but whether man’s belief in god is rational and based on sound logic and deductive reasoning.
  • Book Divided by Faith by Michael Emerson Review The writers of the book have been able to expound on the relationship between the White evangelicalism and Black evangelicalism.
  • The Problem of Faith in Parables by Kafka and Nietzsche The essay reveals the main themes of allegorical readings – Law and God, discusses that that the characters are tested by the problem of faith.
  • Evidentialism as a Problematic Aspect of Faith The issue of the dogmatic nature of religion is a common point. While some people are willing to accept religious principles unwaveringly, others seek to question these postulates.
  • Religious Website “Faith Communities Today” This paper will give a summary on a religious website on Faith Communities Today, which provides essential information on a variety of issues in regard to congregational life in the USA.
  • The Path to Salvation: Faith, Grace and Spirit over Flesh The question of how one may be purified and allowed into the realm of heaven haunts many Christians. The answer becomes quite clear once one considers some of the passages from St. Paul’s writing.
  • The Belief Bias and Cognitive Sciences This paper is concerned with the way cognitive sciences scholars, in particular, Keith Stanovich, view the belief bias and its components.
  • Elie Wiesel and His Faith in God in the Book Night In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Eliezer’s faith in God was something beyond question. He spent time in devotion to God. He frequently prayed to Him and at times he even cried.
  • Patient Faith Diversity in Healthcare Practices Providers in healthcare practice should know the behavioral patterns of patients, especially as concerns their faith.
  • Collaborating Community and Faith-Based Nursing Faith-based communities have developed the concepts of health and healing that are consistent with the principles of nursing.
  • Healing by Faith Ethics and Organ Transplantation This paper examines the issue if the healing by faith over proven medical methods is ethical with regards to the eight-year-old boy in need of an organ transplant.
  • Lesley Dill’s Exhibition “Faith & the Devil” This is a review of an exhibition, Faith & the Devil by Lesley Dill. It explores the struggle between good and evil forces and shows the complexity of such an attempt in human mind.
  • Classical Christianity: Faith, Beliefs, and Practices Classical Christianity connects between the present and the past thus permitting continuity in faith, beliefs, and practices.
  • Is Belief in God Rational? One of the main epistemological dilemmas, which continues to be faced by philosophers/theologians, is whether one’s belief in God can be considered rationally justified.
  • Christian Doctrines Are Not Crucial for Faith and Belief
  • The Belief and Attitude Toward New Technology
  • Time, History, and Belief in Aztec and Colonial Mexico
  • The True Belief Theory of Knowledge
  • The Role and Significance of the Belief in Karma and Samsara in the Hindu Religion
  • Religion and Belief Systems in Australia
  • Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete
  • Truth, Belief, and the Holy Bible
  • Confucius and Laozi Have Differing Belief in Reaching the Way
  • Gandhi’s Actions Were Based on the Belief of the Truth Force
  • Belief Systems: Self-Uniqueness Meets Religion
  • Belief: Things Fall Apart and Chinua Achebe
  • Comparing the Christian and the Buddhist Belief Structure
  • Humanism and Christian Belief: Change in the 15th Century
  • Christian Religious Belief and the Grieving Process in Teenagers
  • Belief and Doubt and Modern Mind Religion
  • Difference Between Belief and Truth
  • Plato Has Justified True Belief and the Gettier Problem Argumentative Essays Example
  • Oedipus the King: Examples of Sophocles’ Belief and Fate
  • Health and Society: The Health Belief Model
  • Why the Distinction Between Knowledge and Belief Might Matter
  • Gattaca Supports the Belief That Human Flaws Are Preferable to a Genetically Engineered Existence
  • Belief Systems Analysis: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
  • Chinese Belief Systems, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism
  • Christian Faith and the Belief in the Divine
  • Roman Catholic Church’s Belief on in Vitro Fertilisation
  • Belief and Higher-Order Belief in the Centipede Games: An Experimental Investigation
  • The Health Belief Model Is an Individual
  • Christian Belief About Suffering, Death, and Resurrection
  • Health Belief System Theory and Community Assessment
  • Blind Faith and False Belief: An Examination of the Development of The
  • Belief Systems and the Spiritual Side of Their Cultures
  • Belief and Knowledge According to Plato
  • The Ancient Egyptian and Roman Religious and Belief Systems Within Their Cultures
  • Catholic Belief About the Eucharist
  • Common Belief, Contested Meanings: Development and Faith-Based Organisational Culture
  • John Locke’s Belief That People Are Born With Rights
  • Belief Systems Characteristics: Islam and Hinduism
  • Can Children Understand False Beliefs Before the Age of Four?
  • Conservative Belief and Rationality
  • Difference Between Belief and Knowledge
  • Biblical Foundation Martyrs Belief in God Theology Religion
  • Are Chinese Belief Systems Considered Religion or Philosophy?
  • What Is the Difference Between the Belief System of Islam and Christianity?
  • How Can Belief Systems Be Shattered Through the Inspiring Story of Esperanza?
  • Does the Media Support a Belief in God?
  • What Are the Ancient Beliefs in Astronomy?
  • Are There Belief Contradictions Between Transcendentalists and Dissenters?
  • How Do Belief Systems Affect Politics?
  • Why Is It Important to Respect Others Beliefs?
  • Is There a Relationship Between Faith and Belief?
  • Do Buddhism and Hinduism Share a Belief That Life Suffering Is Caused by Desire?
  • How Does Cultural Adaptation Influence Professional Belief?
  • What Is the Belief of Many Ancient Astronomers During the Golden Age of the Astronomy?
  • How Did the Belief in Vitalism End?
  • Why Can There Never Be Any Justification for a Belief?
  • What Is the Relationship Between Individual Belief and Performance in Parapsychological Phenomena?
  • How Could Existentialism Affect One’s Belief in God?
  • Does Religious Belief Connect Humans With Nature?
  • What Are the Issues of Belief System?
  • How Successful Have Psychological Approaches Been in Accounting for Religious Belief and Experience?
  • Does Superstitious Belief Influence People’s Perspective?
  • How Have the Belief Systems of the Modern World Helped Determine the Policies and Politics of Today?
  • What Does the Evidence Reveal About Belief in the Afterlife in the New Kingdom of Egypt?
  • How Do Values Belief Systems and Experience Affect Working Practice?
  • When Does Your Belief Become the Truth?
  • How Would Religious People Explain Why Their Belief in Life After Death Is Important?

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StudyCorgi . "161 Belief Essay Topics." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/belief-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "161 Belief Essay Topics." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/belief-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Belief were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 5, 2024 .

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32 “This I Believe” Essay

The history of ‘this i believe’.

by Tanya Matthews

This I Believe is an exciting media project that invites individuals from all walks of life to write about and discuss the core beliefs that guide their daily lives. They share these statements in weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered .

The series is based on the 1950’s radio program This I Believe , hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, some 39-million Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists and secretaries — anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. Their words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial division.

Eventually, the radio series became a cultural phenomenon. Eighty-five leading newspapers printed a weekly column based on This I Believe . A collection of essays published in 1952 sold 300,000 copies — second only to the Bible that year. The series was translated and broadcast around the globe on the Voice of America. A book of essays translated into Arabic sold 30,000 copies in just three days.

[The NPR series This I Believe can be read and heard here . In addition, the website and organization This I Believe houses thousands of essays written by famous people, such as the ones mentioned above, and everyday people like you and me.]

As a college student in 2020, you are faced with turbulent politics, socioeconomic issues, and ethical dilemmas that will challenge you to take a stand and contribute to the local, national, and global conversation around you. The purpose of this writing task is not to persuade you to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, it is to encourage you to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from your own. Fifty years ago, Edward R. Murrow’s project struck such a chord with millions of Americans. It can do so again today…with you.

Video Resources for Generating Ideas

Dan gediman on writing a “this i believe essay”.

Read Cecelia Munoz’s essay “Getting Angry Can Be a Good Thing” referred to in the previous video here .

“This I Believe” Essay with Animation

“This I Believe” Essay Ideas

Prewriting Activity

1) analyze others’ statements.

Consider the following statements, written in response to the question What Have You Learned About Life? Highlight any sentences that resonate with you. Talk about them with a partner or group, explaining why. 1. I’ve learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. – Age 9 2. I’ve learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. – Age 14 3. I’ve learned that although it’s hard to admit it, I’m secretly glad my parents are strict with me. – Age 15 4. I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. – Age 39 5. I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don’t know how to show it. – Age 42 6. I’ve learned that you can make someone’s day by simply sending them a little note. – Age 44 7. I’ve learned that the greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others. – Age 46 8. I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. – Age 48 9. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. – Age 53 10. I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. – Age 58 11. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. – Age 62 12. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. – Age 66 13. I’ve learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I’ve seen several. – Age 75 14. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. – Age 82 15. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch—holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. – Age 85 16. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. – Age 92

2) Compose Your Own Statement

Write down a sentence that expresses what YOU have learned about life. Maybe it is similar to one of the statements above; maybe it’s completely different. Whatever it is, write it down.

3) Freewrit e

Now free-write about your sentence. Include at least two examples / experiences that you have had that support why you think this way.

Personal Statement/Philosophy: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you believe in this statement? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name two experiences that you had that would support the statement: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does this say about yourself or your personality? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After your life experience, how have you come to the conclusion that this should be your statement? How have your beliefs changed, if at all? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How has the event effected your relationship with a person, place, or object? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How does your statement apply to you today? (How you view yourself & society) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAYS

Sample #1: america’s beauty is in its diversity.

written by Alaa El-Saad,  high school student,  as heard on NPR’s Tell Me More (2009)

America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I believe in the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be different, and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.

The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim and keeping my head covered is a sign of maturity and respect toward my religion and to Allah’s will. To be honest, I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be an individual, not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the reaction that I’d get at school.

I decided on my own that sixth grade was the time I should start wearing the hijab. I was scared about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or even be scared of me and pull off my headscarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no acceptance for being different.

On the first day of school, I put all those negative thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but inside I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.

I was wrong about everything I thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions—respectfully—about the hijab, and why I wore it.

I did hear some kid was making fun of me, but there was one girl—she wasn’t even in my class, we never really talked much—and she stood up for me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.

Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the beauty of America. I believe in what America is built on: all different religions, races and beliefs. Different everything.

Sample #2: The Essentials to Happiness

written by Alexxandra Schuman, high school student, as heard on The Bob Edwards Show (2013)

As a child, I was generally happy; singing and dancing to my favorite songs; smiling and laughing with my friends and family. But as far back as second grade, I noticed a “darkness,” about me. I didn’t enjoy engaging in many things. I didn’t relate to my peers in elementary school because they appeared so happy, and I didn’t have that ability to achieve happiness so easily.

In middle school things in my life began to get even worse. I began withdrawing from everything I once enjoyed; swimming, tennis, family. I hated going to sleep knowing I had to wake up to another day. I was always tired. Everything was horrible. Finally, midway through eighth grade, I was told I had a chemical imbalance; diagnosed with clinical depression and put on medication. It took months for me to feel the effects of the medication.

When I began to feel happy again, is when I realized that I had to take the responsibility for getting better myself, rather than relying on medication and therapy alone. Aristotle said, “To live happily is an inward power of the soul,” and I believe that this quote describes what I had to do to achieve happiness. Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy. But I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

Growing up, we’re encouraged to be successful in life; but how is success defined? Success and happiness are imagined now as having a lot of money. It is so untrue. Recently I went to Costa Rica and visited the small town of El Roble. I spent the day with a nine-year old girl named Marilyn. She took me to her house to meet her parents. It was obvious that they were not rich; living in a small house with seven children. The house was cluttered but full of life. Those who have decided that success and happiness comes from having money and a big house would be appalled at how utterly happy this family from El Roble is. People say that seeing things like that make you appreciate what you have, but for me, it made me envy them for being so happy without all the things I have.

“The essentials to happiness are something to love, something to do, and something to hope for,” a quote from William Blake sums up what I believe people need to realize to be truly happy in life. People need love; I feel they need their family and their friends more than anything in the world. People need work to do, something to make them feel they are making a difference in the world. People need to know that more good is to come in the future, so they continue to live for “now” instead of constantly worrying about the bad that could come. And most importantly people need to know that happiness is not something that happens overnight. Love and hope is happiness.

Sample #3: Find a Good Frog

written by Delia Motavalli, high school student, as heard on The Bob Edwards Show (2013)

I believe in finding a good frog. It seems that all throughout childhood, we are taught to look for a happily ever after. “And they all lived happily ever after”; isn’t that the conclusion to many children’s films? When I was a kid I always thought of that as magical; but now really it just seems unrealistic. And it teaches us that what we want is a fairytale like they have in the storybooks. We all want to be Cinderella who gets swept off her feet by the hot prince; we want to live in the royal castle, right? But I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing for us to seek. Now I’m not saying I believe in being pessimistic, but I do believe in being realistic; it’s something I got from my mom.

My mother and I always have our best conversations in the rain. We sit in the car, neither of us wanting to brave the rain to get to the house. So we sit. We watch droplets race down the windshield, listen to the rain strike the roof of her little blue Honda, and feel the heater on full-blast rushing at our feet (just the way we like it). I don’t know why, but sitting in the car, we always talk more than normal. There was one rainy day when my mom told me something that is going to stick with me forever. Earlier that day she and my dad had been arguing about something; I can’t remember what. So she said, “Don’t spend your life looking for Prince Charming. Instead, find yourself a really good frog.”

At the time, I found this thought really disheartening. Who wants to think that you’ll never find Prince Charming? You’ll never get to be Cinderella? Another thought that struck my mind: if my mom says there’s no Prince Charming, then what’s my dad? A frog? I asked her, and she replied with, “Of course! If he were Prince Charming, he wouldn’t snore, would be able to cook, and we would never argue. But you know what? He’s a damn good frog.” Of course, being young, I didn’t think of the meaning behind what she was saying. I was too busy thinking of it literally, visualizing my mom as a princess and my dad in frog form.

But a few years later, I understand the value of my mom’s words. You can’t expect everything to be perfect. Let’s be completely honest; if you wait your whole life for your prince with flowing hair, statuesque features, and a white horse, you’re going to be lonely. I think that the point of finding a good frog is you accept something that’s great, flaws and all. It’s so easy to be picky. You can find the one tiny thing that’s wrong, and that one tiny thing is what you can’t get your mind off of. But in life, we can’t afford to wait years in vain for perfection. So I think that a good frog, an amazing frog, the best frog you can find is what we’re really looking for in this world. Don’t laze through life waiting for a happily ever after, because I don’t think you’ll be very happy with the outcome.

Examples from the ‘This I Believe’ Website

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude by Sarah Adams

They Lived Their Faith by Charles Henry Parrish

Returning to What’s Natural by Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus

The Birthright of Human Dignity by Will Thomas

Remembering All The Boys by Elvia Bautista

I Am Still The Greatest by Muhammad Ali

A Goal Of Service To Humankind by Anthony Fauci

My Life Is Better by Abraham

Give Me a Waffle by Brenda

The Little Things by Sophie Crossley

You can also browse thousands more This I Believe essays by theme .

Prefer to Listen to Get Inspiration?

Check out This I Believe’s Podcast Series

4) Drafting

Assignment guidelines + suggestions and tips for drafting.

1. While the examples you’ve been given can serve as a model, it is essential that each of you write about a personal belief or philosophy that you feel strongly about. 2. Tell a story. Personal experiences are the corner stone of a good essay. Your story doesn’t have to be a heart breaker or even a major event, but it must be something that has affected how you think, feel, and act. List your personal experiences that you intend to use as evidence below: 3. Be concise. Avoid repetition. This essay should be between 500 – 650 words. When read aloud, it should take roughly four minutes. 4. Name your belief. It is essential that you can name your belief in a sentence or two. Focus on one belief only. This is your thesis. Write it here: 5. Be positive. Avoid preaching or persuading. You aren’t trying to change the way others think or act. Write about what you believe, not what you don’t believe. 6. Use the first person. Speak for yourself. Avoid using we or you. 7. Let your voice shine. Use language that sounds like you. Read it aloud as your revise. Keep making changes until your essay sounds like you and captures the essence of your belief.

5) Peer Review

Once you have written your first draft, arrange for your essay to be edited by a peer, using the following Peer-Editing Checklist: Writer’s Name: ________________________________________________ Peer Editor’s Name: ________________________________________________ Use your PENCIL or PEN (NOT red or green) to make corrections. Remember, this essay is a work in progress. You are not done writing! Look for ways to improve what you’ve already written. Tick each step if it has been completed. _____ 1. Read the paper backwards, one sentence at a time. Check for spelling errors. Use a dictionary, a friend, or a spell checker to find the correct spelling. _____ 2. Check for capitalized proper nouns and the first word of each sentence. _____ 3. Skip a line between each paragraph. _____ 4. Every sentence should have end punctuation. _____ 5. Check commas. Are they only used for compound sentences, a list of items, an introductory word or phrase, direct address, setting off interruptions, separating adjectives, or in dates? Do you need to add commas? Make sure you do not have commas separating complete sentences (i.e. comma splice errors that create run-on sentences). _____ 6. Apostrophes are used only for contractions and to show ownership. _____ 7. The use of more complex punctuation (dashes, hyphens, semi-colons, parentheses, etc.) is done correctly. _____ 8. Have you used commonly mixed pairs of words correctly? Check these: they’re/their/there, your/you’re, it’s/its, a/an, to/too/two, are/our/hour, and others. _____ 9. Read the paper backwards one sentence at a time. Check for sentence fragments and run-ons and correct them. _____ 10. Did you stay in present tense (such as is, am, do, take, know, etc.) or past tense (such as was, were, did, took, knew, etc.) throughout the entire essay? _____ 11. Did you stay in first person (I, me, my, we, us, our) or third person (he, him, she, her, they, them, their) throughout the entire essay? _____ 12. Was there adequate use of specific details and sensory details? Were the details clear and relevant to the statement? _____ 13. Is the overall purpose/philosophy clear? _____ 14. Does the conclusion make you go, “Wow!” “Cool!” “I never thought about it that way,” or any other similar reaction? Other suggestions for the overall content of the piece: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

possible grading rubric for This I Believe essay

This I Believe by Tanya Matthews is licensed by CC-BY-SA

“This I Believe” Essay Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay About Beliefs: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

To write an essay about beliefs, you need to know the different beliefs people hold; continue reading this article for examples and prompts to help!

Beliefs are a person’s perception of what they believe to be true. However, not everybody’s belief system is accurate. Beliefs are not necessarily religious or spiritual. It can also be political, philosophical, or societal. Our beliefs are formed early based on our environment – what we are told, heard, observed, and experienced. Below are essay examples to help you understand other writers’ viewpoints about beliefs.

1. Christianity Beliefs in The Exorcism of Emily Rose by Penny Silva

2. a personal believe that god does not exist by lauren trauscht, 3. my beliefs by patrick of shrewsbury, massachusetts, 4. irrational beliefs by vincent bridges, 5. my ethical beliefs by blanche allen, 1. your thoughts about the definition of belief, 2. what influenced your belief on a certain subject, 3. an experience that shaped your beliefs, 4. thoughts about the role of religion, 5. your personal political beliefs, 6. your stand on gender identity, 7. opinions about the connection between social media and suicide, 8. the belief system of millenials.

“This means that she believes it is a fact that if there is a God, there is a devil, and if there is a devil, there is God.”

Silva’s essay discusses the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” – a film based on the true story of Anneliese Michel. It’s about a court case concerning the death of a girl. She was either possessed by a demon or was suffering from a severe mental illness.

Viewers of the movie are free to believe what they think happened to Emily as it demonstrates the apparition of both the devil and the However, divine. Silva believes that it’s a must-watch if one wants to understand the accurate interpretation of the works of evil.

“…how could anybody keep up on the Bible for thousands and thousands of years? The stories in there had to have gotten mixed up… if there is a God, then who created God? ”

Trauscht’s many questions about a divine existence lead him to believe there is no God. The author shares these reasons in a simple essay about his beliefs.

“ I have no stronger link to anything else in this world than my family… This belief … was something that was one hundred percent infused in me through my parents.”

The author grew up a family-oriented person, and there’s nothing more important to him than his family. He believes he is today because his parents influenced his life. His belief made him a better person.

“I can always distract myself from negative, judgmental thoughts by simply telling myself, “STOP!” Then replace my blaming, complaining, or excusing with something positive. Wisely choosing the thoughts that occupy my mind and avoiding automatic, negative thoughts that undermine my self-esteem will also help.”

Bridges shares his experience with irrational beliefs that made him think negatively, which affected his behavior and self-esteem. He also talks about how he overcame his irrational beliefs when someone believed in him until he finally started to believe in himself, turning the negative thoughts into positive ones.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about religion .

“In a way, ethics are like a set of rules that govern human behaviors and serve as a basis for right conduct principles.”

Allen argues that we have a different understanding of ethics and how we use it in our everyday lives. He says fairness is one of the ethics he applied in his life. Before concluding, he considers the good and bad effects. He believes ethics should be used to reach a fair decision.

8 Writing Prompts on Essay About Beliefs

After reading the examples above, you now better understand what beliefs are. Below are prompts that can help you in writing your essay.

If you want to properly convey your reasons why you believe in a topic, here is a guide on how to write an argumentative essay .

Since all of us may have varying ideas about the definition of beliefs, you can write an essay about your understanding of what belief is all about. You can also provide answers to the following questions: Is belief something you unconsciously developed or something you consciously made? Do you agree that some of your beliefs may not be authentic? 

Many factors can influence why we think what we think. This includes our environment, what we hear and see, and our observations and experiences. 

Pick a particular belief you have and relay to your readers how you came to consider it as fact. You can also talk about something you didn’t believe before, then tell your audience how you came to support it.

If a particular experience forced you to develop a belief about something consciously, you could explore it via your essay. For example, you grew up not believing in God, but due to a near-death experience where you were forced to pray and were saved, you finally accepted that there is an existing God. 

Or, if you previously believed in God but suffered a painful death of a loved one, you start to question His existence. There are so many experiences out there that may have contributed to what we believe in today. Feel free to write them all down.

Essay About Beliefs: Thoughts about the role of religion

You might have heard adults complaining about the morality of the youth today. Does the decreasing interest of young people in religion have to do with moral degeneration? Explain your thoughts about the relationship between religion and morality. 

Your political beliefs have to do with what you consider a prosperous country. “Success” can be defined as a booming or not-so-great economy, but one where the citizens are happy, safe, and accessible. Discuss why you favor a particular political system, including aspects that you want to change.

Gender identity is an ever-controversial subject that still divides many groups today.

However, it also has many subtopics you can focus on. For example, some parents would let their minor children undergo procedures and treatments to change their sex, believing they are supporting their child’s decision. Do you agree with the parents’ beliefs, or would you instead want the parents to wait for the child to be of legal age before undergoing such a procedure?

If you want to expand your knowledge on diversity, here are 21 essays about diversity for students and writers .

With social media’s popularity, cyberbullying also increased. Research found that children and people below 25 years old cyberbullying victims are twice more likely to present suicidal behaviors and self-harm. The same study also found that bullies or perpetrators risk experiencing suicidal ideation and self-harm. What is your opinion on this matter, and do you believe that social media has to do with it? Do parents also have liability on this matter?

During challenging times, more people seek God. However, during the pandemic, millennials in the US-led the shift away from religious organizations. If you belong to the Gen Z or millennials, what’s your stand on this matter? 

personal belief essay ideas

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One of the Common Application essay prompts asks you to “reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?”

  • Why Colleges Want to Read Essays on Your Experience Questioning or Challenging a “Belief or Idea” (which also gives you important hints about the types of underlying things you want to reveal about yourself in your anecdotes)
  • What Not to Do in an Essay on a “Time When You Questioned a Belief or Idea” (to help you avoid falling prey to a common mistake)
  • Essay Example by Cornell Admit

2020 UPDATE & Why Most Students Don’t Write About a Time They “Questioned or Challenged a Belief or Idea”

Most students don’t write their Common App essays on challenging a belief or idea.

But you’re not aiming to be like most students, right?

Consider what the Common App team points out in their 2020-2021 update on the essay topics:

“While students aren’t inclined to discuss a time when they challenged a belief or idea, members appreciate what those essays reveal about the students who write them .”

[Just FYI: Members are the colleges that use the Common App.]

It’s interesting to get this feedback from the Common App because it aligns with the patterns I’ve observed with my own students.

Many of my students have immediately dismissed this essay topic, especially when it used to be phrased this way: “Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?”

They felt they couldn’t write a Common App essay on this topic because they. . .

  • never questioned or challenged a major belief or idea
  • challenged a belief or idea but that didn’t necessarily involve taking some big action
  • didn’t want to “rock the boat” in their essay.

However, I want you to notice the BIG change in the Common App’s phrasing of the topic.

The emphasis is no longer just on challenging a belief or idea.

Now you’re also invited to consider writing about a time when you  questioned  a belief or idea and asked to shed more light on your thinking (rather than just your action).

There are so many interesting possibilities for the “questioned or challenged a belief or idea” essay topic, so I want you to keep an open mind and see if it could be a good fit for you.

Why Colleges Want to Read Essays on Your Experience Questioning or Challenging a “Belief or Idea”

Why do schools that use the Common App say that they “appreciate” what essays a “time you questioned or challenged a belief or idea” demonstrate “about the students who write them”?

Let’s consider some possibilities.

REASON #1: Colleges value students who are open to exploring and respecting perspectives other than their own. Sometimes this involves questioning or challenging your own beliefs or ideas and sometimes it involves challenging those of others.

A significant part of the intellectual and social experience of college involves opening yourself up to new perspectives and getting to know people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Some of the most interesting discussions and learning experiences occur when there’s a range of beliefs or interpretations shared during class discussions, while working on projects, or in student organizations.

Remember that this essay prompt is asking you about a “time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.”

That DOESN’T necessarily mean CHANGING them.

Questioning or challenging ideas or beliefs can also involve enlarging, developing, or refining them.

It could involve realizing that someone’s perspective (including your own) is limited and only applicable in certain circumstances.

REASON #2: Admissions officers are interested in your habits of mind, including your ability to engage in critical thinking.

Even if you’re writing about standing up against a significant injustice, you can’t just write an essay about squashing it.

You have to reveal how you grappled with the issues at hand and how best to address them.

Although the phrase “critical thinking” doesn’t appear in the wording of this Common App essay prompt, that’s one of the things admissions officers want to learn about when reading your essay.

The way you demonstrate your critical thinking in this essay is through your description of “what prompted your thinking.”

Let’s clarify what’s meant by critical thinking.

Wikipedia provides this definition of critical thinking . It involves:

“being inquisitive and curious,

being open-minded to different sides,

being able to think systematically,

being analytical, . . .and

being mature.”

In a previous version of this Wikipedia entry, I found this definition as well. Critical thinking. . .

“clarifies goals,

examines assumptions,

discerns hidden values,

evaluates evidence,

accomplishes actions, and

assesses conclusions.”

Someone who thinks critically doesn’t just take things at face value (even if they seem obviously wrong or bad).

They look beneath the surface to figure out the assumptions and values informing the information and situations they encounter. They also know how to evaluate evidence and consider what types of evidence are–and are not–being provided.

When you’re writing about “what prompted your thinking” in terms of challenging a particular belief or idea, you want to show evidence of these ways of thinking–of these ways of examining your beliefs and ideas and those of others. You definitely don’t have to demonstrate all of them.

REASON #3: The “challenged a belief or idea” essay is a great way to demonstrate your “intellectual vitality” that all colleges, not just Stanford, are looking for in applicants.

This reason combines the first two that we’ve covered but pushes them to the next level.

Let’s consider what the former director of Columbia University’s graduate nonfiction program has to say. In  To Show and To Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction , Phillip Lopate points out:

“In the best nonfiction,. . .you’re always made aware that you are being engaged with a supple mind at work . The story line or plot in nonfiction consists of the twists and turns of a thought process working itself out ” (6).

Many students just don’t yet realize that “ follow[ing] a live, candid mind thinking on the page ” is extremely interesting and important for admissions officers (43).

Just as importantly, most students don’t know how to make their thinking processes spring to life in their writing. It takes time and lots of guidance to master the art of writing this way.

However, it’s this kind of writing that demonstrates the “intellectual vitality” that admissions officers are hunting for when they read your application material.

Many times it’s not the surface level of your narrative (in this case, the specific belief or idea you questioned or challenged) that matters most to admissions officers. It’s your process of thinking and acting.

What Not to Do in an Essay on a “Time You Questioned a Belief or Idea”

One of my former students wanted to focus on a time when he stood up for a student at his school who was being bullied (which involved challenging one of the bully’s core beliefs)

That was actually a good initial idea.

Even though it might seem like a cliched approach to responding to the essay prompt, it’s in the details–in the vivid anecdotes and insights–that you can stand out and make the essay your own.

However, this student had two friends who were constantly ripping his draft to shreds.

“More DRAMA!!!!”

“Don’t tell, SHOW!!!”

Those are the kinds of notes I’d see in the margins of his draft.

His friends eventually convinced him to create an essay that was so exaggerated that it was unbelievable and stripped his writing of his deeper, more significant thoughts and feelings about the situation.

Yes, your essay needs internal and external tension or conflict, but it doesn’t have to be blown out of proportion.

Nuance and subtlety often have more power than you realize.

Yes, you need to show, but you also need to tell.

I strongly recommend checking out these two articles , which reveal effective strategies to use in your Common App essays.

“Techniques Used in the Best College Application Essays”

“Two Elements of the Best Common Application Essays”

“Challenged a Belief or Idea” Essay Example by Cornell Admit

Background Info: One of my students who was accepted to Cornell Engineering wrote about  her experience challenging a Science Olympiad judge’s conclusion about the vehicle she created with her partner. 

Click here to read my article on how to successfully position yourself for engineering programs.

You can watch the video or read about her essay down below.

ESSAY STRUCTURE, MOODS, AND TONES: 

PARAGRAPH #1:

To generate immediate interest, she plunged readers right into the moment before the event, a great strategy for helping readers feel like they’re there with you. 

NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS:  

Instead of jumping right into what happened during the event, she flashed back to the painstaking process she and her partner went through while preparing for the event.

She didn’t just tell admissions officers they’d spent all this time and energy on the project—she showed it through vivid, sometimes funny, examples about experimenting with various materials.

In this part of her essay, she was providing insight into her work ethic, attention to even the minutest details, ability to handle setbacks, and capacity to collaborate .

By this point, the student was in the middle of her essay, but the reader still didn’t know that she’s writing about a time she challenged someone’s idea or belief.

That’s totally fine!

You’re not writing an academic essay on challenging a belief or idea.

You’re immersing admissions officers in your world—taking them behind the scenes in your life—and, when the moment’s right, you can “tap” on the essay prompt.

SHIFTS IN MOOD AND TONE:

She started by creating an anticipatory mood , mixed the seriousness of preparation with a certain degree of humor , and then, after the flashback, gets to the serious part. She’s bringing readers back to the present moment to describe the engineering event itself and the judge’s decision. Because she so effectively described the process, readers feel the let down when something goes wrong.

Readers feel like they’re going on a journey.

That’s a good thing.

NEXT PARAGRAPHS:

The student then described how she and her partner were so taken aback by the results and how they tried to make sense of what happened.

Through these anecdotes she demonstrates her critical thinking skills . She didn’t just jump to the conclusion that the judge was wrong.

She described how, when she realized the problem was with a certain measurement, her partner didn’t want her to say anything about it. She feared speaking up against the authority figure and felt they might suffer some sort of other penalty.

However, even though my student felt kind of queasy about challenging the judge, she did it and the decision was changed in their favor.

She drew her essay to a close with some insights into how this process of learning to speak up for herself—something she hadn’t really done before—changed her life in other ways. It’s not like she’s now always challenging authority but she feels more confident.

Your Next Steps for Writing a Great Common App Essay

Click here to gain access to my complete set of articles on Common App essays and supplemental essays.

Blog post images in order of use: ©claireandy/unsplash.com

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personal belief essay ideas

Writing the Common App Essay: Prompt #3—Challenging Beliefs or Ideas

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Now that the Common Application for the 2016-2017 cycle is available, it’s time to start think about ideas for your essay. Because you will probably be sending the Common App to many of the colleges on your list, it’s a good idea to start planning what you want to say early on. Unlike some other parts of your application, such as grades and test scores, the essay portion is subjective and allows you complete control over how you present yourself. It gives you a chance to show sides of yourself that may not be evident in the more objective aspects of your application.

Prompt #3 of the Common Application asks the following:

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

Unpacking the prompt

This prompt is a great way to show colleges who you are and what is important to you. While much of your application focuses on your intelligence, success as a student, hard work, and achievements, this is an opportunity to demonstrate your personality and willingness to take risks. Reflecting on a time you challenged a belief or idea allows you to show colleges what your values are.

This prompt may seem a little tricky at first because as a high school student, you may not have participated in many large-scale protests, which initially may seem like the only way to respond to this prompt. However, your response doesn’t need to present a time you radically altered the status quo. You can challenge beliefs in a multitude of small ways that may not even seem that radical to you, but may have made a difference—however big or small—to a person or a system. Of course, if you do have an example of a time you effected great change, this is a great opportunity to do write about it.

Usually, challenging a long-held belief or idea requires some kind of challenge or stress to your own way of acting. That doesn’t mean the incident you choose needs to have resulted in a massive consequence to you, or that you must have put everything on the line. But it does mean it should be something outside of your norm, and something that caused some amount of disruption to the way you and others typically behave.

Think about why you did what you did and why it was important to you. Was it something that bothered you for a long time? Did you know beforehand you were going to act, or was it a spur of the moment decision?

You should also be sure to explore some ways what you did affected you. Did you learn anything from your actions? Did it change or alter your views in any way? In answering whether or not you would make the same decision again, explain why or why not.

Developing an idea

As discussed above, your topic doesn’t need to be something that radically altered the norms of society. Even if you influenced just one person’s life, it may be worth discussing. For instance, you could write about a time you stood up for a friend or peer who was being bullied, or a time you befriended someone who was considered unpopular. Or you might describe a time you called someone out for using hateful or discriminatory language. The essay is less about the incident itself and more about what it demonstrates about you as a person .

Note that it is okay to write about something somewhat controversial here. But make sure you are limiting the controversy to the action or idea itself, and not how you present it or perceive it. For instance, if you engaged in an anti-war rally or a political protest, you should explain why the cause is important to you and your specific participation. Avoid disparaging others or explaining why you think the opposition is wrong or at fault—and never use insulting or derogatory language. There is definitely a such thing as too controversial. You should never write about a time when you did anything discriminatory, inappropriate, violent, or illegal. If you have any concerns about how something might come across or how you will appear, you may want to avoid writing about that particular incident.

If you are having trouble coming up with an idea for your essay, try making a list of values and opinions that are especially important to you. Then consider how you have presented these views. Have there been any instances in which you needed to get outside your comfort zone in order to express something that is important to you?

This is an opportunity to think outside the box a bit. Challenging a belief doesn’t necessarily mean you stood at a podium and vocalized your stance on a particular cause. Instead, it might mean you started a club or program aimed at feeding the hungry and encountered some difficulties in getting people to take you seriously as a teenager. Or perhaps you overcame your shyness in order to perform an act at a talent show. If you encountered any dissonance regarding adults’ or peers’ expectations of you and what you are capable of and powered through, that is an example of challenging a belief.

If the results of your challenge weren’t necessarily what you expected, don’t write it off as a bad idea for an essay. Such experiences provide an opportunity to explore how you might approach the situation differently in the future, or how you could manage or change your expectations. You could even write about a time when you challenged a belief and later realized you were in the wrong, and explain how you came to that conclusion and what you think about it now.

While it is certainly acceptable to write about implementing small-scale change, you should avoid topics that may come across as trivial or actions that you performed solely to directly benefit yourself. For instance, if you led a protest against your school’s dress code because you wanted to be able to wear tank tops to school, you may not want to share this story with colleges. However, if the protest spoke to larger issues with your school’s administration and unfair or unequal treatment of students, you might use approach it from that lens.

You should also avoid writing about a way you effected change that was meant to benefit you and no one else, unless it reflected a larger societal issue. For example, your campaign to institute more clam chowder days at the cafeteria because you particularly like clam chowder is not going to impress the admissions committee. However, if you attempted to institute healthier food options in the cafeteria because childhood obesity is on the rise, that might be an issue you could tackle in your essay.

Writing the essay

You are telling a story in this essay. Since this is an opportunity to talk about a particular experience that actually happened, keep in mind all the conventions of a narrative. It should have a conflict and a resolution, even if that resolution doesn’t feel final. The resolution could even be your own thoughts regarding the experience.

A good way to open the essay—and really, almost any personal essay—is to tell an anecdote. That helps draw the reader in and engage him or her in the narrative you are telling. In this case, you might start with the incident itself, or, if you are describing a long incident or series of experiences, a particular moment.

For example, if you are writing about a time you organized a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in a political rally, describe the setting. Bring yourself and the readers back to the scene. Tell them what it was like to sit on the bus and what you were thinking. Were you nervous? What were you hoping to achieve?

If you have not already done so in the anecdote, fully explain what happened during and afterwards in detail, including the reactions of others and your personal response. What did you feel while you were doing what you did, and how did you feel afterwards?

Explain what prompted you to act. Why did you do what you did? Did anything or anyone influence you in a particular way? How long did it take from ideation to execution?

Describe the aftermath. What did you accomplish? Were the results positive, negative, or mixed? If you had it to do over again, would you? This is another opportunity to convey your values to the admissions committee, as well as any life lessons you may have learned. How did the experience affect you? Did it change you as a person? (If it didn’t affect you at all, it’s probably not worth writing about.)

Since you have a 650-word limit, precision of language is key here. That doesn’t mean you should skimp on the details—in fact, the more details the better. However, choose your details and the parts of the story to include very carefully. If a particular element is not integral to the story, don’t include it.

Presentation

Throughout writing the essay, keep in mind that you are presenting yourself. This is a chance for you to shine. Colleges want to know about your values and personality here—not those of a teacher, friend, or family member. Even if you are writing about a group effort, you should focus on yourself and your participation, as well as how it affected you and why you were involved.

Consider your tone in the essay as well. You can express that you are proud of yourself, but avoid acting superior or putting down others for failing to act. On the reverse side, avoid putting yourself down, deeming your efforts as useless or unimportant, or presenting yourself as a failure. A little self-deprecation is okay, as long as it adds something to the overall essay. But you don’t want to come off as too negative about yourself or anyone else. Remember, you want colleges to get a sense of who you are and what you deem important, and ultimately impress them.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Essay on Personal Beliefs

Students are often asked to write an essay on Personal Beliefs in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Personal Beliefs

What are personal beliefs.

Personal beliefs are ideas that you feel are true. They shape how you see the world and act in it. These can be about what is right and wrong, or what you think will happen in certain situations. Your family, friends, and experiences help form these beliefs.

Types of Beliefs

Beliefs can be about many things like religion, politics, or what is fair. Some people believe in one God, others in many, and some not at all. There are also beliefs about how to treat others and what rules we should follow in life.

Why Beliefs Matter

Your beliefs guide your choices. They can make you happy or sad, brave or scared. Beliefs can bring people together or push them apart. They can make you stand up for what you think is right, even when it is hard.

Changing Beliefs

As you grow and learn, your beliefs might change. This is normal. Reading, talking with others, and new experiences can all make you think differently. It’s important to keep an open mind and think about why you believe what you do.

250 Words Essay on Personal Beliefs

Personal beliefs are the ideas and thoughts that we hold to be true. They are like invisible guides that help us decide what is right and wrong. These beliefs shape how we see the world and how we act every day. They can be about anything – what we think about ourselves, what we feel about other people, and even what we believe about the stars in the sky.

Where Do Beliefs Come From?

Beliefs often start at home. Our families teach us what they know about life and the world. Schools and friends also play a big part in shaping our beliefs. Books, movies, and the internet can influence what we think is true or important. As we grow up, we might start to question some of these beliefs and maybe change them as we learn more.

Why Are Beliefs Important?

Our beliefs can give us strength. For example, if you believe you can do well in a test, you might study harder and actually do better. Beliefs can also bring people together. When we share beliefs with others, we might feel like we belong to a group. This can make us feel safe and happy.

Can Beliefs Change?

Yes, beliefs can change. As we meet new people and experience new things, we might find that our old beliefs don’t fit anymore. It’s like outgrowing a pair of shoes. Changing beliefs is a part of growing up, and it’s okay to let go of ideas that no longer work for us.

In conclusion, personal beliefs are powerful. They guide us, comfort us, and sometimes challenge us. It’s important to think about our beliefs and where they come from, as they are a big part of who we are.

500 Words Essay on Personal Beliefs

Personal beliefs are the ideas and thoughts that each person holds to be true. They are like the seeds from which our thoughts and actions grow. These beliefs can come from our families, the places we live, our friends, and our own experiences. Think of them as a set of rules or a map that guides us on how to behave, what to like, and how to make choices in our lives.

Types of Personal Beliefs

There are many kinds of personal beliefs. Some beliefs are about what is right and wrong, known as moral beliefs. For example, some people believe that sharing is good, while others may believe that working hard is the most important. There are also religious beliefs, which are ideas about God or gods and how people should honor them. Then, there are beliefs about ourselves, like if we think we are good at sports or not.

Our beliefs often start with our families. When we are small, we learn from our parents or guardians. They teach us what they know about the world. Schools also teach us beliefs through what we learn in classes. Friends can influence our beliefs, too, as we often like to agree with people we enjoy being around. Finally, our own experiences can shape our beliefs. If we try something and it works out, we may start to believe that it’s a good thing to do.

Beliefs are important because they help us make decisions. If you believe that studying is important, you are more likely to do your homework. Our beliefs can also make us feel certain emotions. For instance, if you believe that a holiday is special, you might feel excited when it comes around. Beliefs can even affect how we get along with others. If two people have very different beliefs, they might find it hard to understand each other.

As we grow up, our beliefs can change. This is a normal part of life. When we meet new people, learn new things, and have new experiences, we might start to see the world differently. Changing beliefs is not always easy, but it is a sign that we are thinking and learning.

Respecting Others’ Beliefs

It’s very important to respect other people’s beliefs, even if they are different from ours. Everyone has their own reasons for what they believe. By listening and trying to understand others, we can learn new things and make friends. It’s okay to disagree, but we should always be kind and respectful.

In conclusion, personal beliefs are the ideas each of us holds true, and they guide us in how we live our lives. They come from many places and can change over time. Beliefs shape our decisions, feelings, and relationships. It’s important to respect others’ beliefs and to keep an open mind, so we can grow and learn from each other. Remember, what we believe is a big part of who we are.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Personal Aspirations
  • Essay on Personal Anxiety
  • Essay on Personal And Professional Development

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Personal Essay Topics

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A personal essay is an essay about your life, thoughts, or experiences. This type of essay will give readers a glimpse into your most intimate life experiences and life lessons. There are many reasons you may need to write a personal essay , from a simple class assignment to a college application requirement . You can use the list below for inspiration. Consider each statement a starting point, and write about a memorable moment that the prompt brings to mind.

  • Your bravest moment
  • How you met your best friend
  • What makes your mom or dad special
  • How you overcame a fear
  • Why you will succeed
  • Why you made a difficult choice
  • A special place
  • A place you try to avoid
  • When a friend let you down
  • An event that changed your life
  • A special encounter with an animal
  • A time when you felt out of place
  • An odd experience that didn't make sense at the time
  • Words of wisdom that hit home and changed your way of thinking
  • A person that you do not like
  • A time when you disappointed someone
  • Your fondest memory
  • A time when you saw your parent cry
  • The moment when you knew you were grown up
  • Your earliest memory of holiday celebrations in your home
  • Times when you should have made a better choice
  • A time when you dodged a dangerous situation
  • A person you will think about at the end of your life
  • Your favorite time period
  • A failure you've experienced
  • A disappointment you've experienced
  • A surprising turn of events
  • What you would do with power
  • What superpower you would choose
  • If you could switch lives with someone
  • How money matters in your life
  • Your biggest loss
  • A time when you felt you did the wrong thing
  • A proud moment when you did the right thing
  • An experience that you've never shared with another person
  • A special place that you shared with a childhood friend
  • A first encounter with a stranger
  • Your first handshake
  • Where you go to hide
  • If you had a do-over
  • A book that changed your life
  • Words that stung
  • When you had the desire to run
  • When you had the urge to crawl into a hole
  • Words that prompted hope
  • When a child taught you a lesson
  • Your proudest moment
  • If your dog could talk
  • Your favorite time with family
  • If you could live in another country
  • If you could invent something
  • The world a hundred years from now
  • If you had lived a hundred years earlier
  • The animal you'd like to be
  • One thing you'd change at your school
  • The greatest movie moment
  • The type of teacher you would be
  • If you could be a building
  • A statue you'd like to see
  • If you could live anywhere
  • The greatest discovery
  • If you could change one thing about yourself
  • An animal that could be in charge
  • Something you can do that robots could never do
  • Your most unfortunate day
  • Your secret talent
  • Your secret love
  • The most beautiful thing you've ever seen
  • The ugliest thing you've seen
  • Something you've witnessed
  • An accident that changed everything
  • A wrong choice
  • A right choice
  • If you were a food
  • How you'd spend a million dollars
  • If you could start a charity
  • The meaning of color
  • A close call
  • Your favorite gift
  • A chore you'd do away with
  • A secret place
  • Something you can't resist
  • A hard lesson
  • A visitor you'll never forget
  • An unexplained event
  • Your longest minute
  • An awkward social moment
  • An experience with death
  • Why you'll never tell a lie
  • If your mom knew, she'd kill you
  • A kiss that meant a lot
  • When you needed a hug
  • The hardest news you've had to deliver
  • A special morning
  • How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech
  • 4th Grade Writing Prompts
  • Writing Prompts for 7th Grade
  • What Is an Autobiography?
  • How to Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements
  • 7 Law School Personal Statement Topic Ideas
  • Expository Essay Genre With Suggested Prompts
  • Tips for the Pre-2013 Personal Essay Options on the Common Application
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  • Second Grade Writing Prompts
  • 50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches
  • 24 Journal Prompts for Creative Writing in the Elementary Classroom
  • Writing Prompts for Elementary School Students
  • Tips for Writing an Essay on an Event That Led to Personal Growth
  • Do You Know What to Do If You Fail a Test in College?
  • First Grade Writing Prompts

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242 Personal Persuasive Essay Topics and Ideas

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Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

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Personal essays are some of the most diverse assignments you can receive. Whether you’re a student in middle school or university, the best personal essay will highlight an individual’s personal views and unique experience. They’re not confined by the restrictions of literary essays and give plenty of opportunity for introducing the writer’s personality. The key here is selecting the right topics to talk about in a personal essay. Usually, this is the toughest part. After all, it’s the emotional core of your text. A lot of people also struggle to write about themselves and their experience as subjects of the text. Where does one start? Essay topics in general are frustrating to formulate so if you need help with some inspiration, take a look at some more ideas here ! And if you’re wondering what some good personal essay topics are, you’ll find a lot of sample ideas here as well as a guide on how to write a persuasive text.

In this article:

How to Write Personal Essays

Personal narrative essay topics, personal experience essay topics, personal argumentative essay topics, personal cause-and-effect essay topics, personal persuasive essay topics, personal essay topics for middle school, personal essay topics for high school students and college students.

Start by taking a trip down memory lane. The most gripping stories come from personal experience, especially if you’re thinking of writing a personal narrative essay. Think about a memory from your past that includes some inciting incident. If this is the first time you come across this phrase, inciting incidents are typically the metaphorical “ hooks ” of the story that have the audience interested in your text.

You could talk about your experience working as a volunteer, for example, or if you aren’t the volunteering type, you can write about some exciting memories from your childhood and summer vacations. Have you taken a trip abroad that has really left an impression on you? Are you drawn to different cultures because of that exotic trip? Maybe you went to visit a museum of your favourite artist, and this has inspired you to become an artist yourself. Perhaps you were immersed by the sound of a different language and decided to have a go at it. What have you enjoyed the most in the process? What did you hate about it? Perhaps you tried acquiring a new skill, but it went completely the wrong way for you. The list goes on and on.

There’s something there. Just remember the golden rule: always be honest in your personal essays . Trying to change your viewpoint on a subject so that it fits the masses’ opinion won’t make your personal essay enticing. The topic you’ll talk about in your personal essay is extremely important and so is the first sentence. Writing phrases such as “ever since I was a baby, I wanted to become a doctor” isn’t convincing or truthful. Try not to stick to clichés. You want to make an impression with your text, so ask yourself: What would grab your attention if you were reading your persuasive essay? I always think of Charles Dickens’ first sentence from A Christmas Carol : “Marley was dead: to begin with.” It begs for explanation and resolve, and it’s short and simple. The same should go for the personal essay entry sentence.

Why Choose Personal Persuasive Topics for Your Essay

If you’re wondering why you should choose personal persuasive topics for your essay, the answer lies in the question. We are a narrative-oriented society, and much of our relatability comes from convincingly expressing to others our individual, personal experience. What better way to let your personality shine than through conveying your emotions and adventures in a gripping story?

Personal experience essay topics vary depending on your age, and it’s quite likely that a story that worked for a high school assignment won’t have the same effect in your university days. That’s why in the sections below, we have divided the best personal essay topics into different categories. That way, you can easily navigate across all topics (and there’s quite a lot of them – a total of 242 ), but don’t let that restrict you. If you’re confident, you can always choose a topic from any of the categories.

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Of course, there are other important takeaways from writing a great personal essay. Usually, your teacher or admissions officer will look out that you have successfully done the following:

  • Communicated and implemented your critical thinking skills
  • Spoken convincingly and from experience about challenging themes that make you stand out from the crowd
  • Demonstrated your creativity and unique voice all the while applying persuasive techniques in your writing

With all this in mind, you can now start by selecting the right type of personal essay topic from our categories. We have included everything from personal essay topics for middle school to personal essay topics for high school, as well as narrative essay topics and many more. Go on, what are you waiting for?

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

Personal narrative essays are a great way to tell your unique take on a personal story. You just have to choose a project you feel passionate about. Typically, choosing a story involving your success and personality growth is your best bet, but of course, always make sure to check that your topic is suitable for the task given by your tutors. If you’re wondering what topics are suitable for a great personal narrative essay, check out the following ideas:

  • Starting your first job
  • Volunteering for the first time
  • A memorable teacher that made an impact on you
  • A dangerous experience
  • Your first journey abroad/to the countryside
  • An experience that changed your behavior
  • An experience that made you gain/lose religious faith
  • A comedic situation based on some misunderstanding
  • Events from your summer vacation that changed your life
  • The first time you got a pet
  • The experience of meeting your little sibling for the first time 
  • A time when you decided what your future job will be 
  • The change of a relationship with some you didn’t expect you’d like
  • The first time you experienced a dangerous event of some kind 
  • The first time you won something
  • Your experience participating in a sport/political/environmental design
  • A story about a teacher who inspired you
  • A story about a family member who is dear to you
  • Your experience of being in charge of something for the first time
  • Your experience traveling on your own for the first time 
  • How a book you read changed your life 
  • How the most exciting subject in school changed your life
  • How technology changed the way you access information
  • The first time you experienced an earthquake or tornado
  • A story about someone who has become your patron/idol 
  • Your reaction/opinion on an event that influenced your country 
  • A moment you caught someone in a lie
  • An episode that changed your relationship with your parents
  • An event which showed you taking responsibility and leadership 
  • An event in which you face discrimination 
  • An experience of successfully fighting procrastination 
  • A time when you helped people in a crisis
  • The experience of creating secret places in your childhood
  • An experience playing your favorite game
  • A time you got lost 
  • Your first time going on a trip by yourself 
  • The influence of technology on your younger siblings vs you
  • What you would do if you won the lottery for the first time 
  • Your best childhood memory
  • Your experience of discovering a disability for the first time 
  • A secret talent you have 
  • Your experience learning a musical instrument
  • Your experience with an inexplicable event that happened to you
  • A story about the greatest fear you have 
  • How your favorite work of art inspires you
  • The best advice you have heard in your life 
  • A place you would go to if you could travel in time 
  • A story about the most beautiful place you have visited
  • Something you witnessed in your lifetime that you will never forget
  • Your favorite holiday experience 
  • Your most awkward moment in college
  • Your biggest fear
  •  The most crucial lesson in your life 
  • Your experience of being betrayed by someone and your response to it 
  • An advice your parents gave you that wasn’t useful
  • Describe your biggest moment of failure 
  • Your biggest argument with a family member
  • A difficult decision you have made 
  • The day you realized you had made a best friend
  • The most interesting dream you have had 

Personal Experience Essay Topics

Personal experience essays aren’t that much different from personal narrative essays. They still have an element of narrative storytelling within them, but this time, they focus more on a level of experience you have gained because of a certain event. Usually, personal experience essay topics are focused around the theme of personal development. Many things can be described and included in a personal narrative essay, and you not only are given the opportunity to demonstrate your personal views on a subject, but you can also have your level of determination and ambition evaluated by a professional teacher or college admissions officer. Usually, personal narrative essay papers are written when submitting a college application, but it’s also possible to receive such an essay in school. In my personal experience, some of the greatest essays presenting an intellectual challenge are in fact the personal experience essays.

Let’s get straight into some essay prompts:

  • How do you handle stress when attending an important exam?
  • Which school subject motivated you to study hard?
  • Did a teacher have a significant influence on your confidence in selecting a career?
  • Is homework a waste of time?
  • How would you go about doing research for an essay?
  • What motivates you to study and pursue your dreams?
  • Everyone has a plan “A” when it comes to choosing a career. What is your plan “B”?
  • How has your biggest failure shaped your personality today?
  • What is your biggest accomplishment outside of college/school, and how did you come to achieve it?
  • What is the difference between female and male roles in your family? In what way would you change them?
  • How did a book/film change your worldview?
  • What role have teams and clubs had in your life?
  • What role has television had in your life? 
  • What is your relationship with social media?
  • How have moments of racial or religious discrimination affected you?

Personal Argumentative Essay Topics

Personal argumentative essay topics are generally given to college students or sometimes to people applying for a degree in Humanitarian Sciences. Such essays are a great way for admission officers to evaluate your knowledge of current events and relevant social discussions. Personal argumentative essay topics are usually considered more difficult than narrative essays, for example. For more argumentative ideas and speech topics , check the guide! Thus, if you’re planning on taking up this challenge, make sure you have enough time to prepare. If you have a whole term to prepare for this personal argumentative essay topic, you’ll surely be able to tackle it. Also, if that sounds too engaging, don’t worry, there are plenty of other, easier essay ideas on our lists!

Check out our example personal argumentative essay prompts for argumentative essay topics:

  • Should prisons be abolished? If so, what is the negative and positive impact of this global decision?
  • How does higher education affect the merit in meritocracy?
  • Should artificial intelligence be applied actively in warfare?
  • Does revolution go hand in hand with violence?
  • Has the COVID-19 pandemic made us more prepared for the prevention of future epidemics occurring worldwide?
  • In what way has the instant gratification of social media changed our relationship to technology?
  • How has the digital age changed children’s relationship to empathy?
  • What would the impact of a potential legalization of productivity drugs look like in current society?
  • Is there a difference in work performance between Ivy League alumni and lower-ranking university students?
  • Is obesity preventable?
  • Is gun control a necessary method for the prevention of shootings?
  • Should everyone have the right to vote?
  • Should the right to vote be exclusively available to people with some form of education?
  • Does the #metoo movement yield meaningful social change?
  • Is knife control a necessary and sufficient method of knife crime prevention?
  • How can the value of digital collectible art be accurately determined?
  • Is fan fiction writing real writing?
  • Do all students need to learn a foreign language?
  • Should students take a gap year between high school and university?
  • Why should universities teach financial literacy?
  • Should students participate in the maintenance of school property?

Personal Cause-and-Effect Essay Topics

Personal cause-and-effect essay topics are pretty self-explanatory. You’re aiming to express your opinion on a subject that has a cause, for example, supposedly, school uniforms are meant to cause discipline among students. Exercising and backing up your opinion on this essay idea will make it personal. Here is a detailed guide on how to write a great cause and effect essay . Think of a topic that excites you. It could be something you’re unhappy with or something you think is unjust.

Here are personal cause-and-effect essay topics we came up with:

  • How can video games boost people’s IQ?
  • Can a personal relationship in a family improve with phone use?
  • Can going to college make for happier marriages?
  • How can the involvement of a parent change a child’s education?
  • How have smartphones impacted general communication?
  • What is the effect of cookies, and does it make people shop more?
  • What is the effect of tablets on young children?
  • What is the effect of mobile usage during class?
  • Why can’t another popular engine be established in place of Google?
  • What is the effect of the financial success Disney has had in the last 30 years?
  • Should dating in school be banned?
  • Can living together before marriage make a relationship between partners stronger?
  • Can a couple sleeping in separate beds have a healthy relationship?
  • What is the effect of bullying on mental health?
  • What is the cause of bullying behavior?
  • Why shouldn’t women have to work after an abortion or miscarriage?
  • What is the impact of smoking on a pregnant mother ?
  • How can the presence of acne affect the life of a teenager? What about an adult?
  • Why do some people avoid vaccines?
  • What causes a lack of interest in sports?
  • How can teenagers better protect themselves against cyberbullies?
  • What causes certain social media apps to lose popularity?
  • Can continuous sporting activities cause character development?
  • Is “cancel culture” sparking meaningful change?
  • What is the root cause of racism?
  • Why is it essential to manage forest fires?
  • What are the harmful effects of antill hunting on the ecosystem? 
  • Why is it important for everyone to conserve water?
  • What is the environmental impact of a single-use plastic ban?
  • Can a long-distance relationship work?
  • What are the causes and effects of cheating during exams?
  • Is it a necessity to have an obligatory Sex Ed class ?
  • How has the Internet changed the public’s sexual education?
  • Should there be student bars on campus?
  • Should work become mandatory for anyone over the age of 18?
  • What causes some sports to be more popular among students than others?
  • What are the effects of using computers and tablets in school? What about university?
  • Have libraries become more popular over the last few years? 
  • What caused the General Data Protection Regulation, and why is it necessary?
  • What are the effects of online dating apps such as Tinder or Grindr?
  • What are the effects of drugs and alcohol on people?
  • Should people be allowed to drive after drinking a single unit of alcohol?
  • What are the effects of a family structure on an individual?
  • Does having a sibling make a person more responsible?
  • Are siblings better at sharing?
  • How has the golden child syndrome affected millennials?
  • How can teachers positively and negatively affect student lives?
  • What are the root causes of commitment phobia in men and women?
  • What is the effect of social media on romantic relationships?
  • How does eating fast food affect the energy levels of an individual?

Personal Persuasive Essay Topics

Unlike personal cause-and-effect essay topics, personal persuasive essay topics aim to convince the reader that your opinion is right. This type of academic writing assignment explains a particular problem and uses research combined with personal experience in order to end up with a powerful persuasive conclusion. Through logic and convincing evidence, as well as always keeping in mind the goal of persuasion, you can write a powerful assignment.

Here are some personal persuasive essay ideas to choose from for your next writing assignment:

  • Is chess considered a sport or a game?
  • How is modern music not as well-composed as music from the past, such as the 1970s?
  • Is it important to put PG labels on music tracks or films?
  • Elaborate on the importance of the right education when playing professional music.
  • Is animal hunting an immoral hobby?
  • Is it a good idea to keep pets indoors?
  • The cruelty behind testing beauty products on animals
  • Is it ethical to breed animals for sale?
  • Schools have to reduce the amount of homework assigned to students.
  • SATs and ACTs are not effective ways of examining the knowledge of students.
  • There should be an Emotional Intelligence mandatory class for all years.
  • Vaccines can lead to autism.
  • Astrology isn’t an effective way of predicting future events.
  • All transport vehicles should be automatic or electric.
  • Can distant online learning replace traditional classes?
  • Working from home is better for finance but worse for mental health.
  • The current taxation system is unfair.
  • Listening to music when writing homework is an effective way of sparking productivity
  • Hustle culture has taxing effects on mental health.
  • People volunteer for their personal benefit, instead of kindness
  • People who have survived a near-death experience have a newfound appreciation for life.
  • Is “fake it until you make it” a healthy way of progressing?
  • Why do people lie on their resumes?
  • Why book reading during summer vacations should become mandatory.
  • Weekends should change from 2 days to 3 days.
  • Why we should be making selective school sports mandatory in school.
  • Cooking and body health classes should be mandatory subjects in school.
  • Can e-books and Kindles replace physical books?
  • Should the death penalty exist?
  • Why should children have chores?
  • Why should it be made mandatory for children to contribute to the overall maintenance, cleanliness, and gardening of schools?

Personal Essay Topics for Middle School

When choosing a personal essay topic, it’s important to take on subjects and ideas related to your age. Some topics require a lot more research, while others can be a little too sensitive for a younger writer. Selecting the right one for you will leave you with less workload and can guarantee you a better grade. Of course, if you feel confident and knowledgeable enough, you can try your skills with a more difficult essay idea. Paper writing can be a difficult intellectual challenge, but we’re sure that with these essay ideas, you’ll be able to tell your personal story and write a great essay:

  • How did you make a best friend?
  • A special top-secret place you have.
  • A story of a time a friend let you down.
  • A time when you disappointed someone.
  • What is your happiest memory?
  • Your first time receiving a pet.
  • Your bravest moment.
  • A time you felt embarrassed.
  • What would you do if you were omnipotent? 
  • What would you do if you could switch lives with someone? Who would it be?
  • How did a book change your life?
  • What would you do if your pet could talk?
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
  • If you could shapeshift into an animal, what would you be? What would you do?
  • If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Would you change anything?
  • What’s your secret talent?
  • The first time you fell in love.
  • An accident that changed your life.
  • Talk about the ugliest thing you have seen.
  • Talk about the most influential family member.
  • Talk about your favorite gift.
  • Talk about something you can’t resist.
  • Talk about a guest you had in your house that you’ll never forget.
  • Talk about the hardest news you’ve had to deliver.
  • Talk about a special gift you have received.
  • Talk about something that if your mum knew, you’d be in a lot of trouble. A lot.
  • If you could volunteer anywhere, where would it be?
  • If you won a million dollars, how would you spend them?
  • What is an unexplained event that stuck with you?
  • The one thing you can’t resist.
  • If you could be a superhero, what power would you have? Why?
  • If you could teleport anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Personal Essay Topics for High School Students and College Students

This list of personal essay topics for high school students will definitely inspire you to practice your personal essay skills. Covering topics like communication, ethical consumption, personal experience and more, you’ll be able to gain new ideas and express your deepest thoughts within the confines of the page. These personal essay topics for high school students are also a great way of reflecting on your growth and personal opinion, while expressing your thoughts and opinions.

  • What inspires you?
  • What inanimate object best embodies you?
  • What’s one thing your parents don’t understand about you?
  • What is the one quality a good person must have?
  • Describe the best decision you ever made
  • What is one thing you would change that you know will make a great difference in your life?
  • How do you respond to criticism? Talk about a time you were critiqued.
  • Do you feel the impact of peer pressure in your life? How is it manifested?
  • Are you religious, an atheist, or agnostic? Why and why not?
  • Do you feel comfortable in your body? Do you feel pressure from the media about how you “should” look?
  • What are your views on ethical consumption? Does it matter to you?
  • What are your views on veganism? 
  • Do you feel like your friends are honest with each other? Why and why not?
  • When you look back on your time in high school, what part will you remember with fondness?
  • If you could tell your 12-year-old self something, what would it be and why?
  • Do you have a dream profession? What is it?
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
  • Do you believe in “soulmates”? Why and why not?
  • What is your dream goal? Do you feel like you’ll ever achieve it?
  • Do you believe in the concept of “best friends”? Why and why not?
  • Do you believe in astrology? Why and why not?
  • What do you think the world will look like in 100 years?
  • If you could bring to life any famous historical figure and spend the day with them, who would you pick, and what would you do?
  • If you could go back in time, would you kill Hitler? 
  • What TV series you saw recently made an impression on you? Why?
  • What part of high school do you wish you could get rid of?
  • If you could start your own business, what would you do?
  • What issues truly motivate you and why?
  • If you were an admissions officer, what positive qualities would you look for in students?
  • What period of school do you think is most important? 
  • What is your dream profession? What are it’s positives and negatives?
  • Do you think the world can function without money? What would that alternative universe look like?
  • Do you think all students should go to college? Why?

Writing essays is a great way to showcase your writing skills, as well as clearly communicate your views and ideas. Personal essay writing improves your debating, logical, and deductive skills, so it’s important that you select a topic you’re passionate about and inspired by. This will give you enough fuel to power through the most difficult essay topics while at the same time enjoy what you’re writing about. We hope you enjoyed our personal persuasive essay topics! Make sure to bookmark and come back to this personal essay ideas list in the future when you’re given an assignment! Here are some more college essay topics , check them out!

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Core Values in Personal Belief System Essay

Although a number of values shape my life, there are five values that are very important to me. These are my core values and include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. I received these values from my parents and major events that have shaped my life. Additionally, these values dictate my daily activities and how I relate to people in the society. For that reason, my core values signify things that outline my life. I will be discussing who I am in terms of important values that shape my personal belief system and decision-making framework that describes the direction of my life.

The key to happiness is maximizing pleasure and reducing pain. Happiness is an indication that my life has a meaning and that I can accomplish my goals. The pleasant moods and emotions brought about by happiness are very important to me. However, I must fulfill most of my aspirations in order to live a happy life. Therefore, the more desires I fulfill, the happier my life will be. Moreover, happier people are physically and mentally healthier. Consequently, happiness gives me the necessary strength and right frame of mind to face life. Happiness, hence, drives my success. As a result, my life becomes more satisfying.

A family brings about a feeling of being wanted and connected to my close confidants. Therefore, a family is very important to me. This is because I have people around me who I can look up to in times of happiness and sorrow. In this context, a family is not only my kinsmen but also people I can closely relate to. It will be very difficult for me to succeed without people who care and trust me. In addition, a family will take pride in my success and encourage me when I am down and out. Moreover, with my nuclear family close, I am guaranteed of a loyal support. For that reason, I believe that I am who I am because of my family.

Having friends will always be in the list of my core values. To me, friends create a social bond which has many advantages. To start with, friends help me overcome and interpret challenges. In addition, I continuously learn a lot of new things from friends. For instance, I discover new survival tactics in the various traits displayed by my friends. Moreover, friends help me socialize. This is advantageous to me because socializing offers some emotional support to me. Consequently, stress and depression associated with loneliness are not in my dictionary. Friends, therefore, help me cope with life in the best way possible.

As a human being, I seek satisfaction in all my undertakings. Pleasure, as a core value, is all about satisfaction. Moreover, pleasure generates happiness in me. For that reason, I am able to face life as a more contented person. However, not all things derive pleasure to me. Therefore, I prioritize my daily activities depending on the pleasure generated. This helps me live a more focused and efficient life. Pleasure, therefore, brings out the best in me. It makes me work very hard towards achieving my lifetime goals.

Financial security and stability is also very important value to me. Although money cannot buy happiness, it brings about contentment. God will only cater for my needs if I work towards my financial security and stability. This is because I need money to cater for my bills. This means that my survival solely depends on my finances. Additionally, financial security will enable me enjoy the good things of life and deal with emergencies. As a result, I will be able to live a happy and stable life. Financial stability will also help me have a fruitful life after retirement. Therefore, my life will never be the same again without this core value.

None of my core values can act independently. The interaction among the five core values is what dictates who I am. These values determine how I interact with other people and which strategies I apply in life. They are truly what drive my life forward. Therefore, knowing and acknowledging my core values brings about satisfaction in me. Furthermore, these core values also help me design my lifetime goals. They, thus, help dictate the direction my life will take.

In conclusion, I agree that values are important to my life. However, my core values mean a lot to me. My core values include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. The pleasant moods and emotions brought about by happiness are very important to me. In additionally, a family brings a feeling of being wanted and connected to my close confidants. Furthermore, friends help me overcome and interpret challenges in life. Moreover, Pleasure generates satisfaction and happiness in me. Finally, financial stability and security brings about contentment in me. However, none of these values can act alone. Therefore, I require the right mix of these values in order to live a successful life.

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IvyPanda. (2021, April 9). Core Values in Personal Belief System. https://ivypanda.com/essays/core-values-in-personal-belief-system/

"Core Values in Personal Belief System." IvyPanda , 9 Apr. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/core-values-in-personal-belief-system/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Core Values in Personal Belief System'. 9 April.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Core Values in Personal Belief System." April 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/core-values-in-personal-belief-system/.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Core Values in Personal Belief System." April 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/core-values-in-personal-belief-system/.

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    My Core Beliefs: Guiding Principles. 1 page / 522 words. As an individual, my core beliefs are shaped by a combination of personal experiences, cultural influences, and moral values. These beliefs serve as the guiding principles in my life, influencing my decisions, actions, and interactions with others. In this essay, I will explore the key...

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    It is possible to conclude that the nurse manager at my workplace presents the professional […] Core Values in Personal Belief System. These are my core values and include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. In conclusion, I agree that values are important to my life.

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    Reading a collection of This I Believe essays: • encourages students to read beyond textbooks. • enriches the campus community through exploration of personal values and beliefs. • raises awareness and tolerance of intergenerational and cultural likenesses and differences. • promotes civic discourse and critical thinking. • increases ...

  7. 53 This I Believe Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    I never did my homework and it became so hard for me to catch up with the rest in class. This was the time when I remembered the words of my grandmother "only fools rush […] This I Believe: Happiness Is a Choice. I know that I can choose to be happy. I was ashamed and worried that he would know I took it. We will write.

  8. 161 Belief Essay Topics & Research Titles at StudyCorgi

    In the essay "Ethics of Belief", William Clifford argues that no one, choosing what to believe, can be free from the opinions of others. "Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America" by Edward Moore Kennedy. This research paper examines the key points of the speech "Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America" by Edward Moore Kennedy.

  9. "This I Believe" Essay

    List your personal experiences that you intend to use as evidence below: 3. Be concise. Avoid repetition. This essay should be between 500 - 650 words. When read aloud, it should take roughly four minutes. 4. Name your belief. It is essential that you can name your belief in a sentence or two. Focus on one belief only. This is your thesis ...

  10. Personal Beliefs Essay Examples

    To start with, this is my life story example where I want share personal experience. To start my example of life story, I lost my father when I was 4 years old. For my optimum upbringing, my mother started her own business of selling female... Personal Beliefs Personal Life Personal Statement. 2 Pages | 831 Words.

  11. Essay About Beliefs: Top 5 Examples And 8 Prompts

    1. Christianity Beliefs in The Exorcism of Emily Rose by Penny Silva. "This means that she believes it is a fact that if there is a God, there is a devil, and if there is a devil, there is God.". Silva's essay discusses the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," - a film based on the true story of Anneliese Michel.

  12. 'This I Believe' Essay Showcase

    Out of many, seven This I Believe essays stood out to a reading committee made up of students, faculty, and staff. This I Believe is a popular essay genre that allows the writer to share a personal belief and, through a narrative, explain that belief's origin or a time that belief was put into action. The essay genre started in the 1950s on a ...

  13. Common Application Essay Option 3: Challenge a Belief

    The sample makes clear that a good essay can emerge from seemingly small, personal beliefs. You don't need to be tackling the world's most challenging problems in your essay. A Final Note on Essay Option #3 . College is all about challenging ideas and beliefs, so this essay prompt engages a key skill for college success. A good college ...

  14. "A Time When You Questioned or Challenged a Belief or Idea"

    Most students don't write their Common App essays on challenging a belief or idea. But you're not aiming to be like most students, right? Consider what the Common App team points out in their 2020-2021 update on the essay topics: "While students aren't inclined to discuss a time when they challenged a belief or idea, members appreciate what those essays reveal about the students who ...

  15. Writing the Common App Essay: Prompt #3—Challenging Beliefs or Ideas

    Unlike some other parts of your application, such as grades and test scores, the essay portion is subjective and allows you complete control over how you present yourself. It gives you a chance to show sides of yourself that may not be evident in the more objective aspects of your application. Prompt #3 of the Common Application asks the following:

  16. Personal Beliefs Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    Personal Beliefs -- Philosophy of. PAGES 6 WORDS 1692. " In all likelihood, theistic religions will eventually be replaced with more inclusive and real world-oriented social and moral values and thereby eliminate the most pervasive source of international war and societal conflicts. Nevertheless, especially in the short-term, it could be very ...

  17. Essay on Personal Beliefs

    Students are often asked to write an essay on Personal Beliefs in their schools and colleges. And if you're also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic. ... In conclusion, personal beliefs are the ideas each of us holds true, and they guide us in how we live our lives. They come from many ...

  18. My Values Essay

    My Values in Life. One of the educational values that are fundamental to me is achievement. This is a result of my belief that what defines me most as a person is my determination to succeed and my desire to make a positive contribution to society through my career. Achievement is, therefore, one of the values that are most important to me ...

  19. I Believe Essay Examples

    Beliefs can be said to be a proposition an individual knows as the truth, they come from personal experiences such as cultural societal and religious encounters and once a person accepts a belief as to the truth they are willing to defend it can be said to form a part of their belief system. Beliefs revolve entirely around what you value and do ...

  20. Personal Essay Topics and Prompts

    A personal essay is an essay about your life, thoughts, or experiences. This type of essay will give readers a glimpse into your most intimate life experiences and life lessons. There are many reasons you may need to write a personal essay, from a simple class assignment to a college application requirement.You can use the list below for inspiration. Consider each statement a starting point ...

  21. 242 Personal Persuasive Essay Topics and Ideas

    242 Personal Persuasive Essay Topics and Ideas. Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class. Personal essays are some of the most diverse assignments you can receive.

  22. Core Values in Personal Belief System

    Core Values in Personal Belief System Essay. Although a number of values shape my life, there are five values that are very important to me. These are my core values and include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. I received these values from my parents and major events that have shaped my life.

  23. Personal Beliefs

    Essay examples. guide. FAQ. 1. Standing Up For Your Beliefs. Words • 583. Pages • 3. I believe that you should stand up for what you believe in. If people are telling you to do bad things or things that you don't think should be done, then you should be able to stand up and tell people your opinion and how you feel.