The ability to speak is a short cut to distinction. It puts a man in the limelight, raises him head and shoulders above the crowd.
Source: In Quotable Business, ed. Louis E. Boone, 1992.
-- Lowell Thomas, (Apr 6 1892-1981), US broadcast journalist, explorer; He was a preeminent explorer, lecturer, author, and journalist; especially remembered for his association with Lawrence of Arabia.