by: E.B. Johnson
There are few social aggravations worse than a copycat. We work hard to cultivate our perception of self, and it’s annoying to see someone steal it from us. Worse than this, some copycats try to copy our relationships and cause real havoc in our personal and professional lives. Are you dealing with a copycat? Arm yourself in understanding and take steps to protect yourself and the life you’ve worked so hard to establish.
Is there a copycat in your inner circle? While annoying, most copycats can be relatively harmless. Still, it’s important to be aware of the signs, as some copycat behavior can cause major disruptions in our careers and our relationships.
All the same faves
Do you have a friend that seems to fall into all the same favorite things? When you pick up a hobby, do they pick it up too? What about your interests? Copycats who admire us see our interests as a reflection of our greatness or attractiveness. Desiring to manifest those traits in themselves, they pick up on the things we like to do. They’ll pick up our favorite fads, hobbies, and interests. It’s annoying, but usually pretty harmless.
Sabotaging dreams
Not all copycats are benign. Be really aware of the person who copies you. For some it’s innocent interest. But for others it can come from a more spiteful place. This is especially true int he copycat who takes up on sabotaging our dreams. Seeing us achieve things they couldn’t dream of, they may seek to strive for the same things to sabotage our happiness.
Claiming ideas
Have you ever had someone claim credit for an idea you came up with? Again, this is copycat behavior. When they can’t come up with any original ideas of their own, they take yours. Socially, this is more annoying than anything else. But it can become a serious issue when your copycat is a coworker, or they steal a profitable piece of intellectual property you shared with them.
