Greatness in a person often doesn’t present itself in normality. Instead, it presents itself in the exact opposite: peculiarity. The greatest minds in the history of the world tend to be subversive, rebellious, odd, and generally standoffish towards societal norms. Hence, when we read about such figures’ upbringings, we read stories about outsiders, rebels, and quirky personalities. One great mind who embodied all of these traits was John Lennon.
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Even when John Lennon was the iconic figure John Lennon, he was all of these things. Never did he bend or break to what was deemed “normal,” and never did he stop being unapologetically himself. Well, according to Cynthia Lennon’s book, John, Lennon was always this way. Consequently, his disposition led his peers and superiors to believe that he was not destined for what he ultimately became.
Liverpool Thought John Lennon Was Destined for Greatness or Mediocrity
In the book, Lennon’s ex-wife, Cynthia, didn’t just praise the legend, but also opened up about the darker and crueler sides of John Lennon. Regarding Lennon’s behavior in his early years, she wrote, “Most people thought John was destined to be a dropout and a bum, who would never knuckle down to a decent job or make anything of himself.”
“All they saw was the fool who clowned around in class and gave all the serious students wicked — and very irritating — nicknames… Our teachers said that he would be either a genius or a tramp — there was no in-between with him.”
She concluded, “In the same way, people either liked or loathed him, and it was impossible to ignore. Those of us who loved him knew that he could go off the rails, but we also saw in him raw talent and the potential for real creativity.”
The latter quotation from Cynthia refers to the time they both spent as students at the Liverpool College of Art. As a matter of fact, it was during this time that Cynthia and Lennon started dating. Regardless, this story is one we’ve heard many times before. As iconic figures who harbored similar behaviors include Steve Jobs, Robert Frost, Albert Einstein, Malala Yousafzai, and so many more. So, is it surprising that Lennon’s peers viewed him in this light? To us, not so much, because once again, greatness rarely equates to normality.
Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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