Imitation

To do the opposite of something is also a form of imitation.

— Imitation

He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation. He who chooses his plan for himself, employs all his faculties.

— Imitation

A world where the thought of each man will not be his own, but an attempt to guess the thought of his neighbor.

— Imitation

What was his aim in life? Greatness—in other people’s eyes. Fame, admiration, envy—all that which comes from others. Others dictated his convictions, which he did not hold, but he was satisfied that others believed he held them. Others were his motive power and his prime concern. He didn’t want to be great, but to be thought great. He didn’t want to build, but to be admired as a builder. He borrowed from others in order to make an impression on others.

— Imitation

They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They’re concerned only with people. They don’t ask: “Is this true?” They ask: “Is this what others think is true?” Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show.

— Imitation

Emulation can be positive, if you succeed in avoiding imitation.

— Imitation

Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.

— Imitation

You can only live for yourself: Your action is good only whilst it is alive—whilst it is in you. The awkward imitation of it by your child or your disciple, is not a repetition of it, is not the same thing but another thing. The new individual must work out the whole problem of science, letters, and theology for himself, can owe his fathers nothing.

— Imitation

We must learn how to imitate Cicero from Cicero himself. Let us imitate him as he imitated others.

— Imitation

Imitation can acquire pretty much everything but the power which created the thing imitated.

— Imitation