Ahead of One's Time
Monkey Music
I like my friend’s taste in music. Even though she’s much younger than me, we enjoy a lot of the same songs. The topic of country-rock music came up and I disagreed about the Eagles being labeled as country-rock. On Wikipedia, it labels them as such. She also mentioned that the lead singer for the Monkeys also had a lot of country in him. I never noticed but Michael Nesmith’s voice does sound a little country. She said that he was ahead of his time.
Meaning
Being ahead of your time means that you had ideas, thoughts, knowledge, or innovations that are more advanced than other people living at the time. It is often used for individuals who were not appreciated when they were alive, but their contributions helped to shape the world later. I can also be used to say that someone is innovative (or a misunderstood genius) and we don’t appreciate their ideas at this time.
Example: Van Gogh was ahead of his time. He is now considered one of the most influential artists of all time, but he wasn’t appreciated when he was alive.
Similar Phrases
Ahead of their time should not be confused with ahead of time. Ahead of time means that it happens early. If you finish your work early, you finished ahead of time. This small difference (removing a pronoun) changes the meaning of the phrase substantially.
In their time is also a similar phrase. However, in their time refers to what the world was like while that person was alive. It is used to describe what life was like when they were living. It can also be used in a comical way by an older person describing what life was like when they were younger.
Examples
Some of the most influential humans throughout history have been considered ahead of their time. Their innovations changed the world. Here are a few people that frequently appear on lists of people ahead of their time:
Leonardo da Vinci
Plato
Hero of Alexandria
Rene Descartes
Jeremy Bentham
Gregor Mendel
Ada Lovelace
Galileo Galilei
Nicholas Copernicus
William Tyndale
Sir Isaac Newton
Oscar Wilde
Nikola Tesla
Karl Marx
There are undoubtedly many more people who can be considered ahead of their time. Can you think of any more that you would add to this list?
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