Robert Heinlein’s 1952 radio essay, ‘This I Believe,’ grounds its confidence in neighbors’ kindness, workers’ integrity, and the sacrifices of nurses and teachers rather than religious doctrine. It argues that unreported everyday cooperation sustains society more than conspicuous crime defines it, then extends that belief to humanity’s survival and future. The broadcast transcript preserved by Tufts confirms this progression. Claims that decent people vastly outnumber criminals express the author’s conviction; they are rhetoric, not verified ratios or new research findings.