A baby bird learns it's song from ti's parent, by having it played through a template, of sorts, in it's ear, and then singing it back, eventually perfecting the song, and making it it's own. Learning,by imitating.
22 Minutes at 22 Years: Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery. 22 Minutes cast members past and present muse on the success and awkwardness stemming from the sincerest form of flattery.
Going with Joe's original post, I would say; yes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If I were to do something well enough for someone to imitate (Copy) it, I would be immensely flattered.
It depends on how you look at the imitation. Some writers are wary when it comes to imitation and their first impulse is a cry of plagiarism. My husband had been attending meetings of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) and it was always emphasized that plagiarism is a crime. Moreover, imitating the writings is also a form of plagiarism. But anyway, I am not really flattered when someone imitates what I am doing or what I have done albeit I am irritated.
No Flattery Is Found in an Imitation of a Rockwell. Everyone thought the conservator did it. But as it turns out, it was the husband, in the throes of a bitter divorce. Original "Breaking Home Ties," left, and the copy at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. Don Trachte Jr., left, and his brother Dave opening a fake wall to show where they found a work by Norman Rockwell in their father's studio.
Is Imitation Really The Sincerest Form Of Flattery? I used to think so, until I encountered a person who seemed like they wanted to take my place. Reminded me a little of the movie All About Eve. It became very disturbing. Anyone else ever have that happen?
Kind of. I have always been glad to teach whatever I knew to upcoming chefs but one guy copied everything I did right down how I used my knives to how I stored my chef coat and what kind of shoes I wore and someone mentioned that he even walked through the kitchen like me. The thought did occur to me that maybe he was doing more than just copying me. One night after work and over a glass of wine, I tried to explain to him that he needed to develop his own techniques in order for people to learn about him instead of learning about me via him. It didn’t take. He informed me that he was taught that in order to be as successful as someone else, he needed to copy everything that person does. When I heard his reasoning I was indeed somewhat flattered but it also irritated me at the same time. His skills were not even close to mine but corporations have been known to grab the cheaper brand-x and put the more expensive original recipe back on the shelf. Edit: Oh yeah, after a couple of more weeks, I reassigned the guy to the banquet department.
Yes, when a person wanted my position at work. I knew she was copying me and she even openly told me she'd be better. Be my guest, I got a better paying position and moved on. In All About Eve, Anne Baxter was downright insidious in her quest to take over Bette Davis's, Eve. Good movie, I must say.
In my book, passing imitation off as flattery is just a subterfuge. Someone said: He who doesn't have brains doesn't believe in intellectual property.