On the steps at the Agora, students sat, reclined and leaned against Doric columns near Socrates as he expounded on his current theories in ancient Athens.

Bill and Ted, on a quest for enlightenment and an “A” on their history assignment, approach Socrates without a plan or prepared statement. Socrates was not expecting the time-traveling duo that day; in fact, his public speech was ambushed by the teens.

After awkward introductions were made all around, a pause of silence occurred.

“Now what?” Ted worriedly whispers to Bill.

“I don’t know. … Philosophize with him,” returns Bill.

Squaring his shoulders, Ted declares, “All we are is dust in the wind, dude.”

Socrates stares blankly back at the teens.

Bill, in an attempt to help Socrates understand, simply expounds on the message.

“DUST,” Bill grabs a handful of sand. “WIND,” he blows the sand into the air. Ted victoriously points at Socrates and says, “DUDE!”

A pause as Socrates internalizes the message of the very different guests.

“Aha!” he exclaims. “Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” Socrates smiles joyously as newfound understanding occurs through conversing with these very different people. Smiles are exchanged all around.

“The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing.” A simple statement that Socrates, the teacher of Plato during one of the greatest periods of philosophical enlightenment, is most famous for declaring.

“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” provides a keen example of differing backgrounds and understanding coming together despite disagreements.

“Stop making up stuff, OK? To try to make me look bad? You’re really good at this. You make up s— to try to make us look bad.” An impassioned and exasperated Gov. Cox had a bad day on April 22 during a Republican convention luncheon when he was ambushed by Jason Preston. “You like to make up these conspiracies; that’s great for you. I know it’s good for your brand. I hope that works for you. …” Cox tapped his fists onto Preston’s chest while sarcastically punctuating his words at the conspiracy theorist.

We all have bad days.

But should policymakers, celebrities and politicians get a pass when their behavior betrays their brand?

Aristotle, the student of Plato who was connected to Socrates, became the father of “Rhetoric” and the manner in which modern speech writing and discourse is conducted even today.

Aristotle’s pursuit of logic and rhetoric became foundational for the education and work of politicians. He believed that rhetoric is a necessity for statesmen for its “focus on political consensus and cooperation through persuasion.” Persuasive speaking has three drivers: pathos, ethos and logos. Logos connects logic and reasoning to the dilemma your audience faces with the solution you are presenting.

Aristotle’s start at the Agora and his subsequent development of the Lyceum birthed an era of emphatic debate which largely employed rhetoric and persuasion, rather than hurled insults and patronizing declarations.

According to Aristotle, every speech employs its personal rhetoric style. Rhetoric is a device by which humans can explore and explain the otherwise unexplainable and persuade others of the subsequently derived probabilities. No other art, science or communicative tool can match the intellectual potential inherent to rhetoric. As long as the impassioned speech is controlled, planned and delivered in a way that the opposing view will listen, rhetoric continues to be a valuable tool for public speakers worldwide.

The antithesis to Aristotle’s developments in rhetoric would be the defamatory style of speaking that Donald Trump continuously uses. Journalists and political theorists on both sides of the aisle are stymied by the avid and near-cult following Trump still retains to this day, including Jason Preston and his MAGA-hat-wearing Proud Boy bodyguards who approached the governor on April 22. Trump is on record hurling insults and making statements that are nothing but libel and slander, and yet his emphatic and superlative manner hypnotizes his following. On May 9, the jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case. Yet, the verdict has no legal effect on his 2024 presidential candidacy. Any successful criminal prosecution of the former president is unlikely to affect his ability to be reelected to the White House.

Would our nation’s government be able to withstand another term of high-profile politicians — most notably the POTUS — defiantly razing past precedent of public decorum, including carefully choosing words and actions in every arena?

A public declaration for a return to civil discourse may be the only thing keeping the American people from falling to complete ruin, including a dissolution of civil liberties imminent without reform. 2024 will be upon us sooner than we anticipate, and the American government has the potential to veer off in vastly opposite directions.

Is this a call for decorum and decency in public policy? Maybe. Should we as a people be the change, and shape our leaders through a more dignified, Aristotalian approach to public discourse? Absolutely. Engaging in civil discourse does not infringe upon a citizen’s right to free speech or public debate. Learning to be less emotionally reactive while employing Aristotle’s logos just may be the political reform that we the people are needing most.

I mean, all we are is dust in the wind, dude.

Born and raised under the shadow of Mount Timpanogos, Camille Heckmann is relieved to be back in Utah County. Grad school dropout, former Army wife, mother to four kids and 21 moves during my adult life have provided enough texture to observe and write about the human condition. Divorce and personal tragedy keep the disco ball lit up.

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