How to start a sentence with the words "I believe."

What is the correct way to start a sentence with the words "I believe?"

The correct way is to omit that stupid, awful phrase.

I believe the best way to catch a ninja is to use some sort of humane trap that is not likely to cause injury.

Just cut it right out of the sentence:

I believe The best way to catch a ninja is to use some sort of humane trap that is not likely to cause injury.

So, that is the lesson for today. Kill that awful, little phrase.  When you say “I believe,” it is like saying, “This may not be true, but I believe it is true.”  

You have a more powerful sentence when you just state what you believe.  You do not have to qualify your assertion as something YOU believe. If you are saying it, you clearly believe it.  

If you want to look at a more serious example, consider this line from a professional letter:

I believe my areas of interest and specialized knowledge enable me to find real inspiration for this kind of work.

Cut it out:

I believe my My areas of interest and specialized knowledge enable me to find real inspiration for this kind of work.

Even if you see it in the middle of the sentence, cut it out:

My areas of interest and specialized knowledge enable me to find real inspiration for this kind of work, and I believe my own values are consistent with those of your fine organization.

Cut out those two awful words, and your sentence will pack a harder punch. :-) 

Strategies for Grad Students: Hail to the Jewel in the Center of the Journal Article!

Cheers to the jewel in the center of the lotus.  That's some Buddhism for you.  What is the jewel in the center of an article you are looking at during your research?

It is a single goddamn sentence.

When you look at a research article, the guy might have written 30 pages of analysis, but he probably has only one sentence, one message.  The message is a single sentence, and the rest of the article is just there to explain, elaborate, and substantiate the big idea.

So... when you are feeling overwhelmed by thousands of pages of journal articles as you work toward your degree or whatever you are doing, keep this in mind: Each article has only one big idea. Skim to it.  Get to the point.

That is the jewel in the center of the article.

One book/article = One Big Idea

Peer-reviewed, professional journal articles and books by scholars represent these ongoing conversations that take place among the people in any given professional field.  It's just a conversation. Don't let it get you overwhelmed.

Just glean that big idea from each article, and jump into the conversation by writing a meaningful article of your own.