Ancient greeks said that the greatest political orators and rhetoraticians are those who use their own voices raised in public speech. Dangerous demagogues, carismatic, self fealing charlatans who seek power to advance their own ends rather than that of the country, do the precise opposite in their public speeches. The best political orators must be emotionally rousing, yes, but not at the expense of reason and human co operation and tolerance. Be suspicious of candidates whose oratory rhetoric moves audiences to violence against other audience members.
Today, we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes: an interview with New Yorker staff writer John Colapinto. In his brilliant book, "This Is the Voice," John says that while opposable thumbs are handy, the voice is our species' greatest attribute. We rely on it to communicate and collaborate, woo our mates and protect our children, win wars and make podcasts. John would know. A vocal injury changed his relationship with his instrument and set him on a path to better understand what his voice means to him — and what the voice means to humanity.