People mimic or copy others for many reasons. They either consider you their model and mimic your style to honor you, or get the same attention and benefits that you getting. This close friend of yours probably sees that he can be a better version of you, or does it to be much closer to you.
They're either: Lacking a sense of self – They don't know who they are so being you seems awesome. Green with envy – They want what you have, so they copy you to try to get it. Insecure – A lack of self-esteem can cause someone to try and elevate themselves by copying those they admire (you) or…
Preventing Them From Copying
On the days that they are being themselves, compliment them. This will reinforce to them that their individuality is valued and they will copy you less. Don't let them know what you're wearing beforehand. If you know your friend is a copycat, give them less opportunities to copy you.
"Contagious" might sound alarming, but in this case, it's a good thing. Mimicry seems to work like a social glue, helping pairs to bond and promoting group cohesion. And as the researchers behind this study pointed out, it seems to help us bond even when we're not trying to.
Echopraxia (also known as echokinesis) is the involuntary repetition or imitation of another person's actions. Similar to echolalia, the involuntary repetition of sounds and language, it is one of the echophenomena ("automatic imitative actions without explicit awareness").
Whenever a celebrity or popular political figure commits suicide, there is always the risk it will motivate someone who is thinking about killing themselves to actually do so. This is often called “the copycat effect”.
Jealous People Are Excellent Copycats
Although some people believe that copycat behavior is often a sign of flattery, it is not always the case, psychologists tell us. Someone who is envious of you may also try to mimic your behavior and imitate every single thing you do.
Identity threats feel cognitively uncomfortable, and often result in us feeling annoyed with the transgressor for not being more sensitive about stealing something that feels so core to our self-image. When people copy something really important to us, it quickly goes from identity threat to identity theft.
You might have heard the phrase 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery', but if you really ask the person who is actually being copied, they will tell you that in fact Imitation feels like the sincerest form of disrespect and is often very bothering.
If someone is constantly trying to impersonate you or copy your style, this could also be an indication that they are jealous. People who are envious of others may try to emulate them in order to feel better about themselves and appear as if they have something similar going on in their own lives.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com. To imitate someone is to pay the person a genuine compliment — often an unintended compliment.
Capgras delusion or Capgras syndrome is a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, another close family member, or pet has been replaced by an identical impostor. It is named after Joseph Capgras (1873–1950), the French psychiatrist who first described the disorder.
It can be, but it doesn't always have to be. Imitating someone in order to mock and humiliate them is rude. Imitating someone in a spirit of playfulness that both people see and accept as playful is not rude. Intent, and tone of voice is everything.
By acknowledging what makes you unique, you accept that you are your own person and you can then impart the same sense of self-confidence to the person copying you. Compliment whatever you feel they are copying of yours especially if it is a different take than your own.
Keep in mind the quote, 'Imitation is a form of flattery': your friend admires you so much, they want to be just like you. They may also have insecurities you aren't aware of so always be kind. Hopefully, your friend will understand why you feel so frustrated and will stop copying you.
Imitating others' actions or gestures can be a natural human behavior, but when it happens frequently and involuntarily, it could be echopraxia. Mimicking or mirroring someone else's actions can be a natural part of the human socialization and learning process.
If you have been in a relationship with a narcissist, you may have found they “copy” your behaviors, and your identity becomes their identity. This would be an example of mirroring in narcissism.
Mirroring is when someone is subtly copying/mimicking your speech or speech patterns and nonverbal behavior. This is a way to test the waters regarding someone's level of interest. People will mirror your behaviors if they like you, even on a subconscious level.
Envious people tend to feel hostile, resentful, angry and irritable. Such individuals are also less likely to feel grateful about their positive traits and their circumstances. Envy is also related to depression, anxiety, the development of prejudice, and personal unhappiness.
Another symptom of ADHD Masking is copying or mimicking others. People with ADHD might find that they need to copy or mimic the behavior of others in order to fit in and avoid any criticism. This is because they want to be socially accepted in every situation like the others.
According to Dr. Katherine Phillips of Cornell University, based on the findings of the scientific literature and our own research to date, Mirror Syndrome (also known as Body Dysmorphia Syndrome) is a mental disorder related to body image that is more widespread than it might seem.
Narcissists may imitate or copy the behaviors, interests, and mannerisms of those they are trying to emulate or impress.
People with BPD may even copy others' actions and behaviors because "their ability to be independent and autonomous is very impaired."