Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery
To imitate someone is to do exactly what they do, to behave like them. To flatter someone is to say nice things to them, often to influence them or make them have a positive opinion of you. So the expression, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery” means that doing something the way someone else does it is actually a compliment to them. You are saying: I am doing this because I like your idea/behavior.
To mimic is similar to to imitate. It usually means to do the same physical actions as someone else. A recent study reported in the New York Times says that mimicking someone else’s movements and speech actually does make that person like you more, as long as they don’t notice or realize that you are mimicking them. For example, you are talking to someone at dinner, and then she crosses her legs (puts one leg on top of the other at the knees). A few seconds later (you have to wait, or they will notice you mimicking them!), you cross your legs. Then she puts her hand to her face. Three or four seconds later, you put your hand to your face in the same way. Pretty soon she will start to like you more, to be more sympathetic toward you.
People are able to pick up on (comprehend, sense) things and react to them even if they are not conscious of it. This is a trick that salespeople sometimes use, and of course men trying to pick up (get a date with) women. Now the research suggests that this may actually work. So if you are looking for that special someone to fall in love with, you might try a little mimicking. But once again, be careful! If they realize that you are trying to mimic them, they may get angry with you.
~Jeff
February 18th, 2008 at 2:07 am
It was very interesting to read this, as we all know pretty well that psychology is a quite strong thing. There are people using the knowledge for reaching their goals, which can be both good and bad, and we don’t even guess that they do that! Such education is just necessary for morden people otherwise we can be fooled frequently. I myself have more than one book in my home library on the topic and must confess it’s really a thrilling reading that reveals many secrets of our own behavior. Gestures, words said mechanically we see and hear every day wherever we are, and we actually think little about that. Writers use the knowledge to make their novels more vivid and interesting to read. There are painters like, say, Schielle (1890-1918) who used gestures very often to express ideas, which can’t be done by means of other methods but gestures.
It’s really a too wide area to discuss and a decent book on the theme would be a good helper for everyone.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Dear Jeff, I don´t find de word rehired in any dictionary.It´s a true word ?
I understand the context of the phrase, I think that he´s fired of his job
February 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Cool, Jeff, I had listened about it onetime. But, be careful you can bored with a person mimicking you every day when you are in front the mirror… LOL
February 18th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hi Jeff,
nice topic you brought up today.
In addition to what you have mentioned above, I even want to go one step forward and say that ‘acclaiming’ girls (just for few cases, of course!!!, I’m teasing you girls, don’t take it personally) is a good trick to attract them toward yourself. It worked out for me at least. Emmotionally and/or psycologically they like to be acclaimed. Girls are the best, prettiest, kindest, most faithfullest creatures that the Almighty has created. I have one of them.
Cheers!
Sam
February 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Oh, my god, this is actually right. Special thanks to Jeff that I will going to imitate…
February 18th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
oh! that is really interesting. Thanks Jeff for picking this amazing topic.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Your guess is wrong, Jose Luis Cerezo.
To rehire is to reemploy or to reaccept someone back as a worker. So maybe you need some advise with your English dictionaries
Saludos
February 20th, 2008 at 3:34 am
After reading the blog by few months I have learned quite a lot of curious things about human behaviour, and this last about “mimic” is very interesting, odd and in some ways dangerous because if you are trying to pick up some one you may mimic for a certain time that person but afterward you’ll return to be as you really are, and all the magic will disappear quite soon. So I think is better to be as natural as we are all the time, so we’ll haven’t any surprises in future.
It should be different if we are trying to pick up a woman or a man just for a weekend, a night, or a brief time only. Just for pleasure as we are seing so frecuently in movies, comedies or tv. farse serials, this is not my case but it should be useful to other friends life.
To flatter someone you like is different, more if it is true, because we all need that friends or the person we love says good things about us if we are doing a good work. But it has to be a sincere flattering otherwise should be obviously a bad thing.
We all have seen flattering people at work traing to get boss favour at the expense of the other workers. This is a repulsive behaviour, I hate it whenever I have seen it, very often I have to say.
Thank you Jeff as ever (I’m flattering you) this is a very funny thing to talk about.
May 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Mirror neurons