---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...Simon and I by then were practicing to…"
description: "\"“...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart, rehearsing together in the same room and often in the same conversation.”\" — Elliot Perlman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg"
---

#  ...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart…

![“...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart, rehearsing together in the same room and often in the same conversation.” quote by Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg)

> ““...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart, rehearsing together in the same room and often in the same conversation.””

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The excerpt reflects a paradox where two people attempt to separate emotionally while still sharing physical and conversational space.

**In simple terms:** Attempted distance amid proximity.

Key Takeaway

Emotional separation can coexist with physical closeness.

Themes

relationships psychology paradox communication

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

narrative observation

When to use this quote

- co‑habitation counseling
- team dynamics
- creative collaborations

Key Concepts

emotional dissonance boundary negotiation

Practical Applications

- Establish clear emotional boundaries
- Practice active listening to avoid mixed signals

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people maintain closeness while seeking separation?
- How can one effectively create emotional space?

A Different Perspective

Physical proximity may eventually erode the intended emotional distance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

## Related quotes

> [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/)

[Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/)

> [So far I had been travelling alone with my handbook and my Western Railway timetable: I was happiest finding my own way and did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/so-far-i-had-been-travelling-alone-with-my-handbook-and-my-western/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [When I am on set or rehearsing for the play, the only thing I can talk about is the work I'm doing. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/when-i-am-on-set-or-rehearsing-for-the-play-the-only-thing-i-can-talk/)

[Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/)

> [I don't know if I have a favorite part of being an artist. I do love being onstage and performing with my band. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-wilson/i-don-t-know-if-i-have-a-favorite-part-of-being-an-artist-i-do-love/)

[Gabriella Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-wilson/)

> [When I rehearse, it ends up doing more harm than good. I think I work a little bit better when it's right off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-tahan/when-i-rehearse-it-ends-up-doing-more-harm-than-good-i-think-i-work-a/)

[Charlie Tahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-tahan/)

> [While I am rehearsing a play, I try to read nothing that might distract my concentration from the work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-mccambridge/while-i-am-rehearsing-a-play-i-try-to-read-nothing-that-might/)

[Mercedes McCambridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-mccambridge/)

> [We shot 'High School Musical' in eight weeks. I spent longer rehearsing for 'Hairspray' than filming 'High School Musical'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-efron/we-shot-high-school-musical-in-eight-weeks-i-spent-longer-rehearsing/)

[Zac Efron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-efron/)

> [I'm not a big fan of rehearsing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fehr/i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-rehearsing/)

[Brendan Fehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fehr/)

> [There's a difference between knowing what to do when you're rehearsing it, and being able to do it once you're adrenalized and emotional. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-starr/there-s-a-difference-between-knowing-what-to-do-when-you-re/)

[Antony Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-starr/)

> [I remember when I was rehearsing 'Scottsboro Boys,' I was in 'American Idiot,' so, every night, I was screaming, singing these high, belty Cs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-henry/i-remember-when-i-was-rehearsing-scottsboro-boys-i-was-in-american/)

[Joshua Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-henry/)

> [Unlike other voice-over situations which are done in a recording studio, Roger Rabbit was live action and animation combined, and there was a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fleischer/unlike-other-voice-over-situations-which-are-done-in-a-recording/)

[Charles Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fleischer/)

> [I could do an American accent, if I were immersed in the accent, meaning if I were living back in Los Angeles and rehearsing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/i-could-do-an-american-accent-if-i-were-immersed-in-the-accent/)

[Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/)

> [You know, I feel like when we're goofing around and rehearsing, I might be, like, kind of silly and dorky, but, like, I'm gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-madix/you-know-i-feel-like-when-we-re-goofing-around-and-rehearsing-i-might/)

[Ariana Madix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-madix/)

> [Whats more awkward than doing a shower scene? Rehearsing a shower scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/whats-more-awkward-than-doing-a-shower-scene-rehearsing-a-shower-scene/)

[Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/)

> [When I am rehearsing for a play, I try to read nothing that might distract my concentration from the work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-mccambridge/when-i-am-rehearsing-for-a-play-i-try-to-read-nothing-that-might/)

[Mercedes McCambridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-mccambridge/)

## More by Elliot Perlman

> [You would love the way he sees you. He uses you as a weapon against himself and not merely because you did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/you-would-love-the-way-he-sees-you-he-uses-you-as-a-weapon-against/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“When the words dance privately for you, it is possible to feel not alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/when-the-words-dance-privately-for-you-it-is-possible-to-feel-not/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“Madeline, my wife, never used to wear a watch. She does now, I am told. For a long time, in a very inexact way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/madeline-my-wife-never-used-to-wear-a-watch-she-does-now-i-am-told/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“…anyway it wasn’t your reading that started this. It was the laugher, the carefree laughter, the three dimensional Coca Cola advertisement that you were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/anyway-it-wasn-t-your-reading-that-started-this-it-was-the-laugher/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“While he recognized that you were unhappy and unwell, I think he couldn't help but feel that there was some part of you, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/while-he-recognized-that-you-were-unhappy-and-unwell-i-think-he/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“I asked her where she got her toughness. She pretended she didn't understand. Maybe she didn't at first, or maybe she had forgotten that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/i-asked-her-where-she-got-her-toughness-she-pretended-she-didn-t/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [“He uses you as a weapon against himself and not merely because you did. He sits in his car at traffic lights on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/he-uses-you-as-a-weapon-against-himself-and-not-merely-because-you/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [At difficult times of my life, books have been an incredible comfort. When I was 12, I changed schools and my parents split up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/at-difficult-times-of-my-life-books-have-been-an-incredible-comfort/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [Why did I start with them? Why do any of us choose one company over another as an employer? The money? At the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/why-did-i-start-with-them-why-do-any-of-us-choose-one-company-over/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [Listen- all that she was then, all that she is now, those gestures, everything I remember but won't or can't articulate anymore, the perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/listen-all-that-she-was-then-all-that-she-is-now-those-gestures/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [It's like the smell of burned toast. You made the toast. You looked forward to it. You even enjoyed making it, but it burned.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/it-s-like-the-smell-of-burned-toast-you-made-the-toast-you-looked/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [You know you're in love with somebody when you wake up next to them, comfortable despite your breath smelling like the week-old water at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/you-know-you-re-in-love-with-somebody-when-you-wake-up-next-to-them/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [ \[Memory\] visits when it is hungry, not when you are. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/memory-visits-when-it-is-hungry-not-when-you-are/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [I'll be happy if I can gain even the smallest place inside the literary imagination of U.S. readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/i-ll-be-happy-if-i-can-gain-even-the-smallest-place-inside-the/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

> [I hold him to my chest. My love for him is the only unequivocally good thing I know is always there inside of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/i-hold-him-to-my-chest-my-love-for-him-is-the-only-unequivocally-good/)

[Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

[Explore all 46 Elliot Perlman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/)

## More Communication quotes

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/)

[Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

Yoram Wind

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart, rehearsing together in the same room and often in the same conversation.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elliot Perlman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-be-apart-rehearsing-together/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-be-apart-rehearsing-together/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9a/elliot-perlman-14111_communication_simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-b_117663.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...Simon and I by then were practicing to be apart, rehearsing together in the same room and often in the…” — Elliot Perlman",
                "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": "Elliot Perlman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“...Simon and I by then were...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-be-apart-rehearsing-together/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/simon-and-i-by-then-were-practicing-to-be-apart-rehearsing-together/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
