"I Believe"

Belief is a very important part of being. Our beliefs make up who we are and what we hope to achieve in our life times. Belief is also a very abstract concept that seems to mean something different to everybody. There are hundreds of different beliefs that we encounter in our everyday lives. I believe that the sun will rise and set every single day.  I believe that my heart will continue beating. I belie that my friends will all for me. I believe that there is a God that watches over me from day to day. But what do these beliefs actually say about us and what does it actually mean to believe in something. According to the dictionary the official meaning of believe is “to accept something as true; feel sure of the truth of” it is also described as “to hold something as an opinion, think or suppose”.

            In an argumentative sense, stating, “ I believe” is not necessarily the strongest word choice. A belief is usually not based upon fact but emotion, and when arguing and attempting to create a persuasive argument fact is definitely more powerful then opinion. Although this is phrase is not very powerful in formal writing it does relay other important things to the audience. Using this phrase gives the audience a sense that the author is truly passionate about his/her topic. Saying that you believe in something means that you have contemplated life and what it means to believe in the topic. Above all using this phrase in formal writing is not appropriate because it contains the first person. But beyond this fact we must acknowledge the power that comes along with using this phrase. Stating that you believe in something is so different because it makes a connection between the material and the author. Using this phrase makes that material more personal and more relatable. 

            Belief is very important in most people’s lives, and when belief comes up most people usually think of religion. But there are other aspects of life that revolve around belief as well, belief means to ask us what is at stake in our own lives? What are the most important things in our lives and what do we spend most of our free time doing? For Example, I spend all my time at Clemson University keeping up with my schoolwork and being with my friends because I believe that it makes my life better and allows me to grow into a mature adult so that I can support myself when I graduate. This is one of my many beliefs, however others may argue that college has other uses but that is their own belief.

            Above all belief is one of the most powerful statements that a person can make, whether it be in writing or while in discussion. However whether it is appropriately used must be determined according to what is being writte