Is imitation a form of flattery?
CopyCat
CopyCat
My friends have repeated this saying to me several times this week but I’m not convinced.
The world is a funny place. You come up with a good idea and work at it and do the research and hone it and make mistakes and work some more and get things working and then someone comes along and sees what you’ve done and decides they’ll just copy it.
I’m not against competition and have always taken the view that there is enough work out there for everyone. When people are open and honest there is often a chance to co-operate rather than compete and to create new opportunities.
However when someone just copies your business model, pricing structure and pretty much everything else it’s a bit galling. When they set out to compete in an area where you’re already operating you have to wonder about their motives.
I started wondering if I’d been too open and shared too much and if I should be more cautious in future but then I found this and realised its not me that needs to change.
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
Be honest and transparent anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People who really want help may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
Give the world your best anyway.
Mother Teresa hung this quote on her wall and if it was good enough for her, its good enough for me.
Don’t imitate – innovate!
What do you think?
Posted in Inspiration | 
Tags: Business Model, False Friends, Form Of Flattery, Funny Place, Honesty, Love, Mother Teresa, New Opportunities, Selfish Motives, Several Times, Transparency, True Enemies
Give freely of yourself despite what others tell you. It always pays dividends in the long run.
It is flattery but also laziness and that will show in other areas. Don’t worry, just be yourself and continue to lead the way
A brilliant way to deal with the situation Ann. As always you prove to be the winner, well done my friend.
Wow! This is *perfect* timing for me! I was just yesterday second-guessing myself (not to mention giving myself a stomach ache!) for deciding to stay true to myself and help someone out and it is turning around on me … the person is using it to boost herself up. I was ready to scream, but as you said, if it’s good enough for Mother Teresa, it’s good enough for me. (It’s hard though, I’ll be honest!)
Hi Ann – you have raised a good point however I think if you have created your business based on your values, personal brand, with your fresh ideas and unique contacts, the replicated ones can’t compete on levels of authenticity and passion and the cracks will soon begin to show.
Great response Ann to something that must have been a disappointment.
Keep Smiling!
I think Janine’s comment sums up themessagein the four words ” be true to yourself “.
Or as shakespeare put it in the words of Polonius words of advice to his son Laertes “To thine own self be true”.
It must be hard Ann but everything about you shows you imitate Mother Teresa beautifully
. Have you spoken to your imitator and let them know how you feel? I always challenge people when they upset me as often they don’t realise what they’ve done. They may be negative or rude, but challenge anyway x
Once you’ve been burned, it’s hard to put yourself out there again in the same honest way, … and *especially* with the same person! Confrontation is probably necessary but difficult. It may, however, be the only thing that will help yourself and possibly the other person or maybe at the very least someone else to whom they might do the same thing.