Reflections & Spirituality

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. It’s an old and trusted proverb. Indeed, we humans are incurable imitators and we begin at an early age. It was one way of learning – trying different roles and identities. A child’s imagination is teeming with creativity. It is fascinating to see a child pretending to be his / her favourite hero or heroine. However, it would be disturbing if my 70-year-old neighbour came for morning coffee, acting like – and dressed as – Spiderman.

It’s not that we cease to be imitators when we become adults. It just becomes a more subtle process.  Advertisers know all about our fantasies, about our infatuation with name-brands, about who we want to look, dress and act like. Our need to imitate is a large part of what keeps the wheels of commerce turning. A certain amount of that is normal, but it becomes unhealthy and inappropriate (e.g. my Spiderman neighbour) when it is a sign of insecurity or immaturity. So, a symptom of security and growth in maturity has to be: finding one’s identity, discovering who I am, coming to terms with reality and being at peace with that.