Humans practice the art of imitation, by mimicking other human beings. This is something that is so simple, something that is done subconsciously and yet something that is almost a necessity for survival for humans and animals. An elevator experiment was conducted at Bethany Lutheran College; in this experiment students were facing the opposite direction when the doors opened. The majority of the test subjects stepping onto the elevator followed suit and faced the opposite wall, even though this is not the normal standards. This study proves that humans feel the need to conform to society even when they know they are stepping outside the realm of the usual procedure. So why do humans feel the need to mimic others around them? In this paper I will discuss the reasons why we as humans imitate others and the benefits one gains from mimicking. (Kent, 2013) Humans are born to mimic, Conniff states in his book The Ape in the Office Corner that “infants begin mimicking facial expressions within one hour after birth, and we go on imitating words, faces, body language, styles of dress, social fads, and fashions until we die” (2005, p.
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210). We as humans feel the need to copy what others are doing; “we have this subconscious feeling that if we aren’t doing what everybody else is doing, then we are probably going to die” (2005, p. 212). So with this in mind, it is no shock that leading by example is a popular style of leadership. A leader knows that their subordinates are watching them; a good leader will be mindful of this and perform exactly or above standards on how a procedure should be done. They will demonstrate valuable qualities on how to treat and speak to others. They know that they are in the spotlight and accomplishing others to follow them and the rules they have to not only enforce them but also abide by them. A good leader will also want their followers to be successful and achieve successes throughout their life and they know that by “imitating others is frequently a shortcut to success” (2005, p. 213). Copying someone and how they perform their job is not the only way a person mimics a person. According to Conniff, “we also imitate one another because it elicits comforting feelings of closeness… This postural echo is one way we communicate the sense of affiliation and affinity” (2005, p. 214). This closeness from others is something people long for, something the need in their daily lives. When someone feels close to someone, even by mimicking them, it fills a void that they may have. ”Loneliness is a painful condition that leaves a person longing to fulfill the emptiness inside them. Separateness can cause fear, anxiety, and a strong emotional hunger for connection” (Butler, 2014). So when someone is feeling stressed or upset about life or their job, having a simple conversation and mimicking someone’s actions, or having them replicate theirs is a tiny gesture that can put someone at ease and relieve their stress. Another quality of copying other’s actions and behaviors is to simply make us feel good. There are a number of jobs that the employers to tell the coworkers to ‘answer the phone with a smile’, this is because being happy is contagious. Research was done at the Harvard Medical School and the University of California,
210). We as humans feel the need to copy what others are doing; “we have this subconscious feeling that if we aren’t doing what everybody else is doing, then we are probably going to die” (2005, p. 212). So with this in mind, it is no shock that leading by example is a popular style of leadership. A leader knows that their subordinates are watching them; a good leader will be mindful of this and perform exactly or above standards on how a procedure should be done. They will demonstrate valuable qualities on how to treat and speak to others. They know that they are in the spotlight and accomplishing others to follow them and the rules they have to not only enforce them but also abide by them. A good leader will also want their followers to be successful and achieve successes throughout their life and they know that by “imitating others is frequently a shortcut to success” (2005, p. 213). Copying someone and how they perform their job is not the only way a person mimics a person. According to Conniff, “we also imitate one another because it elicits comforting feelings of closeness… This postural echo is one way we communicate the sense of affiliation and affinity” (2005, p. 214). This closeness from others is something people long for, something the need in their daily lives. When someone feels close to someone, even by mimicking them, it fills a void that they may have. ”Loneliness is a painful condition that leaves a person longing to fulfill the emptiness inside them. Separateness can cause fear, anxiety, and a strong emotional hunger for connection” (Butler, 2014). So when someone is feeling stressed or upset about life or their job, having a simple conversation and mimicking someone’s actions, or having them replicate theirs is a tiny gesture that can put someone at ease and relieve their stress. Another quality of copying other’s actions and behaviors is to simply make us feel good. There are a number of jobs that the employers to tell the coworkers to ‘answer the phone with a smile’, this is because being happy is contagious. Research was done at the Harvard Medical School and the University of California,