Copycat
Children and youth are great copycats. They see something they like and mimic it.
Copycat can be a noun, verb, or adjective.
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A copycat is someone who imitates another person (noun).
They see how someone looks or acts and want to be just like them. I saw the perfect example when I served as a juvenile counselor. A young runaway returned from a northern city to his rural southern home. He walked into my office with
- A new swagger
- Hat cocked to the side of his head
- The most exaggerated accent I had ever heard
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To copycat is the act of imitating (verb).
The young juvenile was funny but did no harm when he changed his dress and speech. He did hurt others when he followed in the footsteps of relatives who broke the law.
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Copycat also describes something or someone (adjective).
That young man displayed obvious copycat behavior. It was not his own but belonged to someone he admired.
We need to choose our role models carefully.
Imitating the right people typically keeps us on the straight and narrow. Following negative examples keeps us in hot water.
We are made in the image of God. May our lives reflect our Maker.
“Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good” (1 John 1:11 NIV)
Thanks to Cindy Shoemaker for the suggestion. Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay.
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