Did any of you guys know John Lennon was a Dyslexic? | Page 2 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Oudis said

Another thread asleep for four years, but here I go. Are you guys sure about this? I find it hard that someone like John, with such command of English language, was dyslexic (but then again I’m not an expert). Same thing about the man who wrote Penny Lane . Can anybody cite sources or post a link? It would be much appreciated.

I don’t know whether he really was or not, but if he was dyslexic that wouldn’t impede his use of the English language, just make it difficult to read it.

Maybe difficulty in seeing words correctly could’ve even contributed to the word games he liked to play.

He did have bad eyesight for sure, so dyslexic or not reading would be tough without his glasses.

And off-topic for a moment, digging up old topics is fun, isn’t it?

Given John’s bad spelling dyslexia is a possibility, Lewisohn even acknowledges this in Tune In.

John was never diagnosed with dyslexia however (it wouldn’t have been on the radar in the 1940s & 50s), and bad spelling is the only associated symptom John had for dyslexia. I would suggest that while it is a possibility, it is also a stretch. John was a voracious reader from a very early age, so he doesn’t seem to have had any problems in one of the main areas of that diagnosis.

There does tend to be this habit of diagnosing historical figures with various conditions and illnesses based on scant evidence in retrospect though. John’s reputed dyslexia seems to fall into this camp to me.

@Starr Shine? Firstly, I have to say this, dyslexia is NOT a mental disorder, but a learning disability. They are very different things.

However, I get the point you are making. It is something that it done with many mental, genetic and physical conditions. I can see the reasons why it is done, even if it often clutching at straws.

There is a one word answer to your question. Inspiration. You learn that you are dealing something that feels like the end of the world to you, what can be better then learning someone you admire overcame and excelled?

A good example would be someone like Winston Churchill, who struggled with depression, he would call it his “black dog”. He learnt coping mechanisms, led a World War while suffering with it, and was one of the giants of the 20th Century.

It’s about reassuring people that they are not defined by their condition or illness, as people often feel, and offering examples of those who have excelled, despite struggling with something that when you first hear it may sound like the end of hope. It tells you there is always hope.