--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Put plainer, my sense is that western…" description: "\"“Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a damn sight poorer today if John Lennon had been forced to carry a goddamn BlackBerry.”\" — Mer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg" --- # Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a… ![“Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a damn sight poorer today if John Lennon had been forced to carry a goddamn BlackBerry.” quote by Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg) > ““Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a damn sight poorer today if John Lennon had been forced to carry a goddamn BlackBerry.”” [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously suggests that modern technology like smartphones would have limited John Lennon's cultural impact if he had to use them. **In simple terms:** Tech would have reduced Lennon's influence. Key Takeaway Consider how tools shape creativity. Themes culture technology creativity Mood playful critical Type humorous observational When to use this quote - music production - social media - personal branding Key Concepts digital distraction artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - How do tools affect artistic legacy? - Would Lennon have adapted? A Different Perspective The claim assumes technology is purely limiting, ignoring its potential to amplify voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture Damn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-damn-5873267/) [Goddamn Blackberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goddamn-blackberry-5873268/) [John lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-lennon/) [Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lennon/) [Lennon Forced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lennon-forced-5873266/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Western culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-culture/) ## Related quotes > [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [I just shot John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-chapman/i-just-shot-john-lennon/) [Mark David Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-chapman/) > [It's a cliche, but John Lennon is my hero. He was so rebellious, so outspoken and so publicly opinionated, and I'm someone who's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emun-elliott/it-s-a-cliche-but-john-lennon-is-my-hero-he-was-so-rebellious-so/) [Emun Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emun-elliott/) > [I think what made John Lennon so exciting as an artist is that, like Dylan and other musicians with a truly important musical legacy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-bachman/i-think-what-made-john-lennon-so-exciting-as-an-artist-is-that-like/) [Randy Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-bachman/) > [“John Lennon said life was what happened while you made other plans. So was death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/john-lennon-said-life-was-what-happened-while-you-made-other-plans-so/) [Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/) > [Imagine? Yeah I can imagine John Lennon being dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/imagine-yeah-i-can-imagine-john-lennon-being-dead/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [The only good thing about America is that you killed John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-wire/the-only-good-thing-about-america-is-that-you-killed-john-lennon/) [Nicky Wire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-wire/) > [“I wouldn't like to interview John Lennon, no, because I'd ask him one question and it'd go to another thing and I'd end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/i-wouldn-t-like-to-interview-john-lennon-no-because-i-d-ask-him-one/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [Yoko Ono never deserved any of the hate she got. Paul McCartney and John Lennon weren't getting along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/yoko-ono-never-deserved-any-of-the-hate-she-got-paul-mccartney-and/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [He murmers into my hair, "Forget what I said earlier, let's stick with this, I might not survive anything more." I laugh. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/he-murmers-into-my-hair-forget-what-i-said-earlier-let-s-stick-with/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [I met John Lennon and he was with his wife in Tokyo. I met him there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/i-met-john-lennon-and-he-was-with-his-wife-in-tokyo-i-met-him-there/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [One of my great memories of John is from when we were having some argument. I was disagreeing and we were calling each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/one-of-my-great-memories-of-john-is-from-when-we-were-having-some/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I don't really have a lot of hip-hop and all of that, so I have a lot of John Lennon. That's one that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-robinson/i-don-t-really-have-a-lot-of-hip-hop-and-all-of-that-so-i-have-a-lot/) [Nick Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-robinson/) > [The thing you must remember is that I'm the Number One John Lennon fan. I love him to this day and I always did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/the-thing-you-must-remember-is-that-i-m-the-number-one-john-lennon/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [John Lennon was just one of us, another human just trying to get through the day, and help make tomorrow a little better. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-landes/john-lennon-was-just-one-of-us-another-human-just-trying-to-get/) [Steve Landes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-landes/) ## More by Merlin Mann > [“Getting organized just means you’ve glued handles onto the various stuff in your life — you’ll still need to pick it up and carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/getting-organized-just-means-you-ve-glued-handles-onto-the-various/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Make the time to be scared of more interesting things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/make-the-time-to-be-scared-of-more-interesting-things/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Personally, it's changed my game - it's how I think now. Can't imagine writing more than a paragraph in anything that doesn't do MMD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/personally-it-s-changed-my-game-it-s-how-i-think-now-can-t-imagine/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Where you allow your attention to go ultimately says more about you as a human being than anything that you put in your mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/where-you-allow-your-attention-to-go-ultimately-says-more-about-you/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Everything takes more time than you thought, everything costs more money than you thought, and almost everything turns out not quite as cool as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/everything-takes-more-time-than-you-thought-everything-costs-more/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [People with tiny glasses and costly shoes can always find a couple of hours to explain how you did it all wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/people-with-tiny-glasses-and-costly-shoes-can-always-find-a-couple-of/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Feeling creative produces great work in approximately the same way that "feeling like a doctor" makes you a gifted thoracic surgeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/feeling-creative-produces-great-work-in-approximately-the-same-way/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Creative work only seems like a magic trick to people who don't understand that it's ultimately still work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/creative-work-only-seems-like-a-magic-trick-to-people-who-don-t/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Creative work, summarized: In the time you set aside each day to work your ass off, ignore anything that makes you consider stopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/creative-work-summarized-in-the-time-you-set-aside-each-day-to-work/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [If you need to appear on an internet list to know whether you're someone's friend, you may have problems a computer can't solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/if-you-need-to-appear-on-an-internet-list-to-know-whether-you-re/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [You're gonna die. You're gonna die. And nobody's gonna care which version of the iPhone you used to make something on Twitter, or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/you-re-gonna-die-you-re-gonna-die-and-nobody-s-gonna-care-which/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [I think all of the best nonfiction that has ever been made comes from the result of someone who can't stop thinking about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/i-think-all-of-the-best-nonfiction-that-has-ever-been-made-comes-from/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Email is such a funny thing. People hand you these single little messages that are no heavier than a river pebble. But it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/email-is-such-a-funny-thing-people-hand-you-these-single-little/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [A priority is observed, not manufactured or assigned. Otherwise, it's necessarily not a priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/a-priority-is-observed-not-manufactured-or-assigned-otherwise-it-s/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [A lot of the best work I've ever done started out as something completely different because I gave myself permission to have space around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/a-lot-of-the-best-work-i-ve-ever-done-started-out-as-something/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) [Explore all 49 Merlin Mann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) ## More John lennon quotes > [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [The thing you must remember is that I'm the Number One John Lennon fan. I love him to this day and I always did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/the-thing-you-must-remember-is-that-i-m-the-number-one-john-lennon/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I remember that, before John Lennon died, everyone was saying that Rolling Stone couldn't do good reporting anymore. But when he died, they wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-crowe/i-remember-that-before-john-lennon-died-everyone-was-saying-that/) [Cameron Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-crowe/) > [I don't really have a lot of hip-hop and all of that, so I have a lot of John Lennon. That's one that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-robinson/i-don-t-really-have-a-lot-of-hip-hop-and-all-of-that-so-i-have-a-lot/) [Nick Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-robinson/) > [One of my great memories of John is from when we were having some argument. I was disagreeing and we were calling each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/one-of-my-great-memories-of-john-is-from-when-we-were-having-some/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [To think the first boyfriend that you lived with is John Lennon, it's hard to make that realization to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-pang/to-think-the-first-boyfriend-that-you-lived-with-is-john-lennon-it-s/) [May Pang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-pang/) > [I met John Lennon and he was with his wife in Tokyo. I met him there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/i-met-john-lennon-and-he-was-with-his-wife-in-tokyo-i-met-him-there/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [He murmers into my hair, "Forget what I said earlier, let's stick with this, I might not survive anything more." I laugh. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/he-murmers-into-my-hair-forget-what-i-said-earlier-let-s-stick-with/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Yoko Ono never deserved any of the hate she got. Paul McCartney and John Lennon weren't getting along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/yoko-ono-never-deserved-any-of-the-hate-she-got-paul-mccartney-and/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [“I wouldn't like to interview John Lennon, no, because I'd ask him one question and it'd go to another thing and I'd end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/i-wouldn-t-like-to-interview-john-lennon-no-because-i-d-ask-him-one/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [The only good thing about America is that you killed John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-wire/the-only-good-thing-about-america-is-that-you-killed-john-lennon/) [Nicky Wire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-wire/) > [Imagine? Yeah I can imagine John Lennon being dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/imagine-yeah-i-can-imagine-john-lennon-being-dead/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“John Lennon said life was what happened while you made other plans. So was death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/john-lennon-said-life-was-what-happened-while-you-made-other-plans-so/) [Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/) > [I think what made John Lennon so exciting as an artist is that, like Dylan and other musicians with a truly important musical legacy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-bachman/i-think-what-made-john-lennon-so-exciting-as-an-artist-is-that-like/) [Randy Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-bachman/) > [It's a cliche, but John Lennon is my hero. He was so rebellious, so outspoken and so publicly opinionated, and I'm someone who's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emun-elliott/it-s-a-cliche-but-john-lennon-is-my-hero-he-was-so-rebellious-so/) [Emun Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emun-elliott/) [Browse all 147 John lennon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-lennon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a damn sight poorer today if John Lennon had been forced to carry a goddamn BlackBerry.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Merlin Mann" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-culture-would-be-a-damn-sight/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "John lennon" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-culture-would-be-a-damn-sight/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/merlin-mann-13792_john-lennon_put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-cul_756267.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Put plainer, my sense is that western culture would be a damn sight poorer today if John Lennon had been…” — Merlin Mann", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Merlin Mann", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Put plainer, my sense is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-culture-would-be-a-damn-sight/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/put-plainer-my-sense-is-that-western-culture-would-be-a-damn-sight/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```