Imiatation is the highest form of flattery...

It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. But do we really believe that? Do we really believe that?

Sometimes we do consider imitation flattery, other times it is the last thing we really wanted to do. How many times have you been going about your own business and suddenly you have to stop because of something you did or said? The next thing you do is utter those words that send a cringe through your whole body, “That sounded like something my mother would say” or “That’s how my dad used do to…” Now you have told yourself over and over that you would do things different than your parents, but we find ourselves time and time again doing things like our parents. We do not intentionally imitate our parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles but we do.

I cannot count the number of times (that may have something to do with having four kids) I have come home to find my wife staring at our kids. I’ll ask what she is doing and she’ll tell me to watch. Eventually she will have to tell me that the kids are doing something just like me, or just like her. It is sort of flattering to see your child imitating you. Our children imitate because they do not know how to do things. They watch their parents, their grandparents, older siblings, etc. to see what they do, and how they do it. Eventually the “what” or “how” is not enough and they begin the constant learning by asking “Why?”

We learn to do things by imitating others. We see something cool on TV or on YouTube and we have to go see if we can do it. We imitate our favorite player by making the winning goal, or throwing the winning touchdown as we “practice.” My younger brother is preparing for medical school. He has “shadowed” several doctors this summer to learn what they do, how they do it, and later has opportunities to ask why they do what they do. Often when we start a new job we have someone assigned to “show us the ropes.” We imitate them until we get the hang of things. To paraphrase an author I frequently refer to “Do it until it is yours.”

There are times we intentionally imitate others. There are other times we are mortified to realize we have been imitating others. But we all do it. We all imitate someone. The question is, who are we imitating and why? Are we imitating those who make us better or do we imitate those who bring us down?