Today, I am thankful for the power of mimicry.
Humans are amazing creatures. Our brains allow us to ponder profound thoughts regarding a number of abstract topics, including everything from science, to sociology, to psychology, to philosophy, and even to anthropology. Speaking of anthropology, humans may be the only species on this planet that have the unique, uncanny ability to examine ourselves. We can easily look upon a parent, a friend, or a colleague to study their patterns, and, in turn, purposefully internalize them as our own.
Take, for instance, the concept of ‘human speak’. Depending on where you were reared as a youth, the language you have learned, the dialect that you use, and even the accent in which you speak it, are uniformly driven by the societal forces surrounding you. Even the facial expressions or hand motions you might use to display your thoughts are unique to your own experiences. Moreover, the vocabulary, phrases, and expressions you use in your speech are derived directly from ones you hear in others, and, in turn, you might choose to mimic in your own orations. As a species, we brilliantly imitate, copy, and ape the viewpoints of others. Perhaps this is why the great naturalist and anthropologist, Charles Darwin, derived the notion that all species, including humans, are descendants of a common ancestor, with humans being a direct descendant of the great ‘apes.’ We mimic others because it’s in our genetic makeup to do so.
Think for a minute about the aphorisms we use in our daily lives. We use short memorable phrases to express some principle or tenet that we genuinely regard as truth. We even lay praise upon many of the most wonderful aphorists in history – Oscar Wilde, Voltaire, George Bernard Shaw, Lao Tze, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Edison. Today, I wanted to introduce you to another aphorist to provide the point I’m trying to make with this blog. In the early 19th Century, an eccentric English cleric named Charles Caleb Colton took to chronicling all the wonderful aphorisms he had ever heard into various short books, including one with a most amusing title, Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those Who Think. Thanks to his efforts, we now have some magnificent maxims that we all so dearly mimic in our own daily speak:
Colton wrote about the power of friendship and love:
True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.
We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them.
Most men know what they hate; few what they love.
Colton mused about being thoughtful and deliberate in one’s speech:
Men are born with two eyes but only one tongue in order that they should see twice as much as they say.
When you have nothing to say, say nothing.
Colton offered wisdom about being cautious with one’s own money:
Our income is like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and trip.
Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied.
And, of course, consistent with today’s theme, Colton taught us about the power of mimicry:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Although less known for his aphorisms, Thomas Edison often took nascent ideas from others and parlayed them into new inventions. Many of his ‘novelty’ inventions were slight modifications of concepts derived from others, which Edison would then copy and improve upon. For example, his invention of the fluoroscope, the voice recorder, and motion picture technology ultimately had their roots with others. So, it’s only fitting that back on this day (Aug 8) in 1876, Thomas Edison received his patent for the mimeograph, an automated machine that, in essence, would made a direct copy of another document. As the first electronic copying machine, mimeographs would in due time be replaced by another invention that works off a similar theme, the photocopier.
The morale of today’s blog is simple: It’s perfectly fine to mimic the words, actions, and behaviors of others. Just make sure to ‘give credit wherever credit is due.‘ By the way, that’s another aphorism I stole, this time from the American patriot, Samuel Adams. Sam did so much more than just brew beer (perhaps I’ll come back to the Bostonian brewmaster in a future segment).
Comments