---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Standing on a ledge again. Everyone…"
description: "\"Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing monkey with the typewriter. Not for long, though.\" — Neil Simon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg"
---

#  Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing…

![“Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing monkey with the typewriter. Not for long, though.” quote by Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg)

> “Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing monkey with the typewriter. Not for long, though.”

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

## About This Quote

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

He humorously notes that ridicule is temporary, but perseverance leads to lasting success.

**In simple terms:** Mockery fades, persistence endures.

Key Takeaway

Persist despite mockery.

Themes

resilience humor determination

Mood

witty encouraging

Type

motivational humorous

When to use this quote

- career setbacks
- creative projects
- public speaking
- personal goals

Key Concepts

perseverance social pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- What motivates you to keep going when mocked?
- How can humor be used to defuse criticism?

A Different Perspective

Mockery can still damage confidence if not addressed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Monkeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monkeys/)

## Related quotes

> [“Nick and I, we sometimes laugh, laugh out loud, at the horrible things women make their husbands do to prove their love. The pointless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/nick-and-i-we-sometimes-laugh-laugh-out-loud-at-the-horrible-things/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [I got really lucky that at age 12, I knew I just wanted to be a dancing monkey in front of people and entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-got-really-lucky-that-at-age-12-i-knew-i-just-wanted-to-be-a/)

[Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/)

> [You get attached to the way you write, and I'm attached to notebooks. That's where I really write the plays. Just two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/you-get-attached-to-the-way-you-write-and-i-m-attached-to-notebooks/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Growing old is not a gradual decline, but a series of drops, full of sorrow, from one ledge to another below it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/growing-old-is-not-a-gradual-decline-but-a-series-of-drops-full-of/)

[Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/)

> [Once more their weird laughter of the loons comes to my ear, the distance lends it a musical, melancholy sound. For a dangerous ledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-thaxter/once-more-their-weird-laughter-of-the-loons-comes-to-my-ear-the/)

[Celia Thaxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-thaxter/)

> [Easy climb, Kurokuma. You do it easily.' 'Not on your life,' Horace said... 'That's what we have Rangers for. They climb up sheer rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/easy-climb-kurokuma-you-do-it-easily-not-on-your-life-horace-said/)

[John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/)

> [We only came close to dying six or seven times, which I thought was pretty good. Once, I lost my grip and found myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/we-only-came-close-to-dying-six-or-seven-times-which-i-thought-was-3/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [Our skin is very thin. It doesn't take much for us to jump off a ledge or to kill one another. It can happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/our-skin-is-very-thin-it-doesn-t-take-much-for-us-to-jump-off-a-ledge/)

[Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/)

> [The other day, I was walking my dog around my building . . . on the ledge. Some people are afraid of heights. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/the-other-day-i-was-walking-my-dog-around-my-building-on-the-ledge/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [... to keep moving up ... , you have to abandon the security of that ledge and reach for another hold. Letting go of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/to-keep-moving-up-you-have-to-abandon-the-security-of-that-ledge-and/)

[Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/)

> [But I've married a deeply sensible person who is extremely good at talking me down from my various ledges, and who takes care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-i-ve-married-a-deeply-sensible-person-who-is-extremely-good-at/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [Where is it I've read that someone condemned to death says or thinks, an hour before his death, that if he had to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-i-ve-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death-says-or-thinks/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [With meditation I found a ledge above the waterfall of my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-meditation-i-found-a-ledge-above-the-waterfall-of-my-thoughts/)

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

> [“The thing about hitting bottom is that, in the middle of it, sometimes you don’t know if you’re really hitting bottom or just bouncing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-weisel/the-thing-about-hitting-bottom-is-that-in-the-middle-of-it-sometimes/)

[Frederick Weisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-weisel/)

> [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More by Neil Simon

> [Talent is the gift plus the passion - a desire to succeed so intense that no force on earth can stop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/talent-is-the-gift-plus-the-passion-a-desire-to-succeed-so-intense/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [You get attached to the way you write, and I'm attached to notebooks. That's where I really write the plays. Just two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/you-get-attached-to-the-way-you-write-and-i-m-attached-to-notebooks/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [There's no such thing as a sure thing. That's why they call it gambling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-sure-thing-that-s-why-they-call-it-gambling/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [“Never have so many given so much for so long for so little for so few for so seldom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/never-have-so-many-given-so-much-for-so-long-for-so-little-for-so-few/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Don't listen to those who say, you taking too big a chance. Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/don-t-listen-to-those-who-say-you-taking-too-big-a-chance/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Once you've opened yourself up, it's best to go all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/once-you-ve-opened-yourself-up-it-s-best-to-go-all-the-way/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Everyone thinks they can write a play; you just write down what happened to you. But the art of it is drawing from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/everyone-thinks-they-can-write-a-play-you-just-write-down-what/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Sports is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/sports-is-the-only-entertainment-where-no-matter-how-many-times-you/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Evan Handler's new book is simply wonderful. He pulls you inside his life, and you come out his very close friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/evan-handler-s-new-book-is-simply-wonderful-he-pulls-you-inside-his/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [The body of a young woman is God's greatest achievement...Of course, He could have built it to last longer but you can't have everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/the-body-of-a-young-woman-is-god-s-greatest-achievement-of-course-he/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [I don't like dating or just living with a woman. I like to create a relationship, a marriage. And almost all of my marriages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/i-don-t-like-dating-or-just-living-with-a-woman-i-like-to-create-a/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [ “\[Y\]ou're young. Young takes care of everything.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/y-ou-re-young-young-takes-care-of-everything/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [People with honorary awards are looked upon with disfavor. Would you let an honorary mechanic fix your brand-new Mercedes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/people-with-honorary-awards-are-looked-upon-with-disfavor-would-you/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [I feel like writing about a time when I was probably, and think all of us are, the happiest before the obligations start in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/i-feel-like-writing-about-a-time-when-i-was-probably-and-think-all-of/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [“You're a witness. You're always standing around watching what's happening, scribbling in your book what other people do. You have to get in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/you-re-a-witness-you-re-always-standing-around-watching-what-s/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

[Explore all 65 Neil Simon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

## More Comedy quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/)

[Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/)

> [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/)

[Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/)

[Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

> [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/)

[Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

[Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing monkey with the typewriter. Not for long, though.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Simon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laughs-at-dancing-monkey-with-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comedy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laughs-at-dancing-monkey-with-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/neil-simon-10535_comedy_standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laugh_2758331.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Standing on a ledge again. Everyone laughs at dancing monkey with the typewriter. Not for long, though.” — Neil Simon",
                "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": "Neil Simon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Standing on a ledge again. Everyone...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laughs-at-dancing-monkey-with-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/standing-on-a-ledge-again-everyone-laughs-at-dancing-monkey-with-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
