---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to…"
description: "\"Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the morning and realize that you are John Simon.\" — Gore Vidal"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg"
---

#  Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the…

![“Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the morning and realize that you are John Simon.” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg)

> “Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the morning and realize that you are John Simon.”

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## About This Quote

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

Realizing you embody a disliked persona can be a distressing awakening.

**In simple terms:** Being labeled a nightmare is unsettling.

Key Takeaway

Reflect on self-perception and others' views.

Themes

identity self-awareness perception social judgment

Mood

cynical introspective

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

- career crisis
- relationship conflict
- public criticism
- personal growth

Key Concepts

psychology social identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How much of this view is self‑fulfilling?
- Can you redefine your narrative?

A Different Perspective

Self‑labeling may be exaggerated or inaccurate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[John Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-simon-4809986/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Morning Realize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-realize-448914/) [Nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightmare/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Realize John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-john-4809987/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simon/) [Simon Nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simon-nightmare-4809985/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/)

## Related quotes

> [Don't fade away like everyone else has. I dont want to wak up one morning and realize you are gone too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-all-his/don-t-fade-away-like-everyone-else-has-i-dont-want-to-wak-up-one/)

[Im\_all\_his](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/im-all-his/)

> [“Three in the morning. I realize this second, then this one, then the next: I draw up the balance sheet for each minute. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/three-in-the-morning-i-realize-this-second-then-this-one-then-the/)

[Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/)

> [Dear circle, Do you ever wake up in the morning and realize your life is pointless? Sincerely, square.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/dear-circle-do-you-ever-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-realize-your-life/)

[Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/)

> [“Hope erodes slowly, over time, until you wake up one night at three o'clock in the morning and realize: I am not meant for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-zigman/hope-erodes-slowly-over-time-until-you-wake-up-one-night-at-three-o/)

[Laura Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-zigman/)

> [“She really is breathtaking, even first thing in the morning. Before I even realize what I’m doing, I rub my fingertips down her smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/she-really-is-breathtaking-even-first-thing-in-the-morning-before-i/)

[M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/)

> [I wake up each morning only to realize you're not by my side. And if this emptiness is nothing but a nightmare, let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/i-wake-up-each-morning-only-to-realize-you-re-not-by-my-side-and-if/)

[Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/)

> [Don't fade away like everyone else has, I don't want to wake up one morning and realize that you're gone too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/don-t-fade-away-like-everyone-else-has-i-don-t-want-to-wake-up-one/)

[Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience/)

> [IT'S REALLY NICE TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND REALIZE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME ANOTHER DAY TO LIVE FOR HIM.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-dixon-owen/it-s-really-nice-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-realize-that-god-has/)

[Cindy Dixon-Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-dixon-owen/)

> [Dont fade away, like everyone else has, I don't want to wake up one morning and realize that your gone too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-fade-away-like-everyone-else-has-i-don-t-want-to-wake-up-one/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“They will wake up one morning and realize their civilization has been pulled out from under them, inch by inch, dollar by dollar, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-willow-wilson/they-will-wake-up-one-morning-and-realize-their-civilization-has-been/)

[G. Willow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-willow-wilson/)

> [“What if you wake up one fine morning only to realize that the life you have been living since the last few days was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/what-if-you-wake-up-one-fine-morning-only-to-realize-that-the-life/)

[Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/)

> [DEAR CIRCLE EVER GET UP IN THE MORNING AND REALIZE YOUR POINTLESS? SIGNED, SQUARE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-circle-ever-get-up-in-the-morning-and-realize-your-pointless/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Just because you miss someone, it doesn't mean you should go back to them. Sometimes you have to just keep missing them until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/just-because-you-miss-someone-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-go-back-to/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [“You wake up one morning to realize life has, literally, passed you by. Even though the living felt long and filled with happiness beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tymber-dalton/you-wake-up-one-morning-to-realize-life-has-literally-passed-you-by/)

[Tymber Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tymber-dalton/)

> [The last best hope of earth, two trillion dollars in debt, is spinning out of control, and all we can do is stare at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-last-best-hope-of-earth-two-trillion-dollars-in-debt-is-spinning/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More by Gore Vidal

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

[Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More Morning quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [Good morning haters, Im here again to let you kiss my ass. :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shennon-fabiano/good-morning-haters-im-here-again-to-let-you-kiss-my-ass-p/)

[Shennon Fabiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shennon-fabiano/)

> [The morning breez and dew are still cold until they get hot by the sun,don't be deceive is morning wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakre-basit-babatunde/the-morning-breez-and-dew-are-still-cold-until-they-get-hot-by-the/)

[Bakre Basit Babatunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakre-basit-babatunde/)

> [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/)

[Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/)

> [When I wake up on a Monday morning, it's nice knowing for the next 10-12 days that I don't have to do much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-i-wake-up-on-a-monday-morning-it-s-nice-knowing-for-the-next-10/)

[Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/)

> [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/)

[George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/)

> [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“It's morning now, and I miss the soft rasp of her voice already. Ugh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/it-s-morning-now-and-i-miss-the-soft-rasp-of-her-voice-already-ugh-i/)

[Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/)

> [Guys wake up at your place and they expect breakfast. They don't eat bagels and M&amp;M's in the morning. They want things like toast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/guys-wake-up-at-your-place-and-they-expect-breakfast-they-don-t-eat/)

[Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/)

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ichiro-suzuki/some-people-enjoy-taking-a-light-stroll-in-the-morning-and-that-gives/)

[Ichiro Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ichiro-suzuki/)

> [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [Whether one is twenty, forty, or sixty; whether one has succeeded, failed or just muddled along; whether yesterday was full of sun or storm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-mitchell-hodges/whether-one-is-twenty-forty-or-sixty-whether-one-has-succeeded-failed/)

[Leigh Mitchell Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-mitchell-hodges/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

[Browse all 10,587 Morning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the morning and realize that you are John Simon.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gore Vidal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Morning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f85/gore-vidal-466_morning_poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake_1384974.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Poor John Simon - what a nightmare, to wake up in the morning and realize that you are John Simon.” — Gore Vidal",
                "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": "Gore Vidal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Poor John Simon - what a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/poor-john-simon-what-a-nightmare-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
