They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when a friend continually copies you, it can be aggravating. People may copy your great fashion sense, your ideas, your amazing jokes, or even your homework.
If the copycat wants to emulate everything you do, there is nothing you can do to stop them. After all, it is a free world. You might want to stop sharing what your next move is and distance yourself. Stop posting all the intimate details of your life on Instagram.
It can feel like someone is trying to steal what is unique about you. A high self-esteem person doesn’t feel the need to hijack someone else’s identity; they are happy being themselves. Consider yourself lucky that you were born so fabulous that people want to emulate your way of being in the world.
Annabelle was taking an English literature class at university; her professor asked students to come up with their own unique perspective about a story that they were studying in class. After a few days, she thought of a unique point of view that would work for the essay.
Annabelle told her roommate about the class and her idea, thinking it was a private conversation. What she didn’t realize is that her roommate would share her idea with her boyfriend. In class she was marked down because two students had written a similar paper. Her roommate’s boyfriend was a copycat who didn’t have any original ideas of his own.
Here are few snappy comebacks to let the person know that you are on to their copycat ways.
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What to say to a copycat
1. You were born an original, don’t die a copy.
2. Be yourself, everyone is already taken.
3. Be yourself, an original is always worth more than a copy.
4. You can copy me but you can’t be me.
5. Never forget to just be yourself.
6. Just be you and if people don’t like it find new people.
7. Live up to your own potential instead of copying someone else’s.
8. It’s called originality, you should try it sometime.
9. You can copy me but you can’t be me.
10. Maybe if you got your own life you wouldn’t fail so miserably to trying to copy mine.
Definition of a copycat
A copycat is someone who acts, talks or thinks like someone else. People who copy others might be looking for respect or approval from friends or coworkers, or they might not be confident in their own ideas or skills.
How to deal with a copycat
Dealing with a copycat can be tricky, but don’t be afraid! Here are some ideas for how to handle it in a cool and casual way:
1. Stay Classy – Instead of losing our cool and getting caught up in unnecessary drama, let’s take a deep breath and handle things with grace. Rising above it will show your maturity and confidence.
2. Address it in a casual way – If it bothers you, talk to the copycat about it. Tell them you’ve noticed the connections and wait to see what they say. They might not even be aware of what they’re doing.
3. Establish boundaries – Have a little chat and make it clear that certain behaviors are just not acceptable to you. You’ve got to be crystal clear about what you will and won’t tolerate.
4. Share the love – Give the copycat tips or advice on how they can make things their own. It could make them more creative and less likely to copy other people.
5. Focus on Your Growth: Instead of worrying about the copycat, put your energy into improving yourself and coming up with new ideas. It will help you keep going.
6. Look for help – Look for help and let someone help you deal with this. Don’t worry, there are definitely people out there who can help.
Remember that people will copy you, but how you deal with it is what really matters. Keep shining with your uniqueness and creativity, and let the copycats do their thing while you continue to do well.
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Famous people accused of being copycats
Here is an interesting look at a few famous people who have been accused of copying someone else’s work. Just keep in mind that these ideas might not tell the whole story:
1. Melania Trump – She has been accused of plagiarizing the speeches of former First Lady Michelle Obama as well as those of other public people.
2. Robin Thicke – Rumor has it that he may have taken a little too much inspiration from the legendary Marvin Gaye with his catchy tune “Blurred Lines.”
3. Shia LaBeouf – He had his fair share of copying scandals, both in his movies and in his art. This includes a short film that was found to be nearly identical to a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes.
4. James Frey – The author of “A Million Little Pieces” is being accused of making up parts of the book and taking other people’s ideas.
It’s pretty fascinating how ideas can sometimes intertwine and overlap—it’s all part of the artistic journey. And we all know that these little scandals don’t define their whole careers, right? It’s just a small bump in the road for these famous folks.
Being a copycat can be very expensive
When Robin Thicke wrote the song “Blurred Lines” with Pharrell Williams he ripped off Marvin Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up.” Even though Marvin’s song was written back in 1977, a jury decided that Williams and Thicke must pay out Gaye’s family $7.3 million. The moral of the story is don’ copy, anyone, be yourself and write your own songs.
The Role of counselling and self care
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When you are dealing with someone who continually copies you and you find it stressful, consider getting support from a professional. Talking to a counselor is a great way to work through a challenging situation, and help you find some strategies to work through the person’s behaviour.
Better Help is a great resource where you can talk to a counselor from the comfort of your own home.
Taking care of your own needs isn’t selfish, and you will feel better in the long run.
Feel sorry for people who have no orginality and copy others. I’m gonna try a few of these out on a girl that copies everything I do. Hope it will make her stop and find her own style.
I’m doing it on my friend by text and she’s still copying me but I’m going to use #2 and hope she stops
Same my sister always copies me Im so trying these out
How do you tell it to your best friend that keeps copying you but u dun wanna hurt her feelings too much
Just do it, the more straight up you are the more she’ll get it. Depends on who you’re dealing with though..my best friend use to that I told her, she still did it. We’re not friends anymore for other reasons. She calls me annoying and a snake yet doesn’t mind copying my jokes and style. Good luck.
I literally feel the same. Sometimes I wonder if I am paranoid, but hearing that you are going through it too makes me feel like I am not.