The Copycat Friend

I have had a strong personality since the day I was born. I have never been a follower. I do my thing. You can love me, hate me, or anywhere in between. I’m not changing. As a result, I attract a wide variety of friends. I have friends on the far left. I have friends on the far right. I have artistic, professional, and redneck friends. I tend to attract people who also have strong opinions or who are just happy beating to their own drum. I have no interest in changing who someone else chooses to be or not be. What I enjoy most about other people are their differences. Differences are what makes life interesting. I am easily bored.

I also attract what I refer to as the copycat friend. This person is never really anyone’s friend because they have no idea who they are. At best they are difficult. At worst they are stalkers and extremely hard to shake off. Sometimes they do not reveal themselves as a copycat friend immediately. I have to get to know them.

Here are a few annoying traits of copycat friends:

• Gradually they have a closet full of clothes exactly like yours.
• Gradually they have redecorated their house exactly like yours. You know that leather sofa you just bought? They will have one exactly or similar to yours inside a few weeks time.
• Your favorite song….theirs too.
• Your favorite movie…..theirs too.
• Your favorite tv show….theirs too.
• Your new shoes….they will buy the same brand, style, color etc. Theirs too.
• Your favorite food….theirs too.
• Over time, they will become angry if you do not like something they like. I mean not speak to you angry. It can be a type of tv show, politics, a shirt, or the breed of a dog. It can be anything.
• Gradually, they try to change your behavior and likes into their own. You might find yourself telling them you like something that you do not like in order to avoid their anger. You are being manipulated.

I have learned to cut these people out of my life as soon as I recognize how they are behaving. This friendship or relationship is headed nowhere good. There is a difference between enjoying friendships and relationships with people who have common interests and people who are lying or misrepresenting who they really are. The copycat friend takes advantage of our need to feel included and similar to those around us. They take advantage of everyone’s need to be liked and appreciated. These people can sometimes be dangerous. They are never healthy for any of us.