Quote of the day by John Lennon: 'You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are...' - Beatles legend explains why self-acceptance matters more than societal validation

A lot of us spend a lifetime developing a facade for the public. While authenticity is a virtue that is much idealised, almost none of us practise it in day to day life - mostly out of fearing to upset the status-quo. Years ago, pop icon John Lennon had emphasised upon the importance of being our authentic selves and advocated for self love and acceptance.

John Lennon On Importance Of Being Authentic

In an interview with John Peebles in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 22, 1964, the Jealous Guy hitmaker firmly advocated self love and acceptance. He stated: “You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are.”

Deeper Meaning Of The Quote

At it’s core, Lenon’s philosophy is one that advocates self acceptance. Lennon tried to defy society’s tendencies to categorise individuals into neat little boxes. Through this quote, the ‘Hey Jude’ singer tried to establish that our worth is not dependent on external validation. You don’t need to adopt a persona or a facade.

Relevance Of The Quote

Since we live in a digital world where many falls prey to the need for external validation. We are often bombarded with curated lifestyles, influencers with popular personas which harm our sense of self worth and increases need for validation from others. In a society obsessed with labels, Lennon’s quote champions need for autonomy and sovereignty.

Who Was John Lennon?

Lennon was an iconic singer-songwriter. He rose to fame as the co-founder and lead vocalist of The Beatles, regarded as the greatest boybands of all time. Lennon was born in Liverpool and developed a passion for music during his teenage years, particularly during the rise of the skiffle movement, a popular genre that blended folk, jazz, and blues influences.

Lennon, born on October 9, 1940 was the only child of Alfred and Julia Lennon. Alfred was a merchant seaman of Irish descent. He was christened John Winston Lennon after his paternal grandfather John Jack Lennon and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His mother, Julia passed away through an accident at the age of 44. Losing his mother at a young age severely traumatised Lennon who developed alcoholism and unstable behaviour. However, his mother's memory inspired songs such as the 1968 chartbuster 'Julia'.

Throughout his school years, Lennon suffered academic challenges due to dyslexia, which impacted his reading and writing abilities. His academic performance was often described as poor and he was deemed a troublemaker in class. However, he was acknowledged for his talent in art and music from a young age. He was eventually expelled from Liverpool College Of Art.

Inspired by the growing music culture around him, Lennon formed a group called The Quarrymen in 1956 while still a student. He met Paul McCartney at the Quarrymen's second performance at the St Peter's Church garden fete. Lennon asked McCartney to join the band. As the group began to take shape, McCartney suggested that his friend George Harrison take on the role of lead guitarist. Initially, John Lennon was hesitant because Harrison was only 14 years old and seemed too young to join the band. Determined to prove his friend's talent, McCartney arranged an informal audition aboard the upper deck of a Liverpool bus. Harrison impressed Lennon by performing the instrumental piece Raunchy, ultimately earning a place in the group. What began as a local skiffle band gradually transformed over the following years, eventually evolving into The Beatles in 1960.

In 1970, he released his solo debut album John Lennon/Plastic Yoko Ono Band. In the early 70s, he delivered chartbusters with other pop icons such as Elton John (‘Whatever Gets You Through The Night’) and David Bowie (Fame).

Regarded as one of the most successful musicians in history, Lennon has 25 songs in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Many of his songs such as All You Need Is Love became anti-war anthems.

Lennon was shot dead in 1980, just three months after his musical comeback album Double Fantasy was released.