the 'copy' chameleon...
why copying people isn't as bad as the school system made it seem.
since kids, we were always taught not to copy others.
dividers placed between people during tests. expulsion if your assignment is the same as someone else’s. and maybe an ass-whooping by your parents if they find out.
and to top it off, this message was hammered home in ninth grade when your English teacher would flunk you for plagiarism.
don’t blame them, blame the school system.
we all know as children we have an empty system waiting to be programmed. so school did it for everyone else.
sure parents can but not as much as school. because of the 9-5 kids don’t even see their parents for half the day. they just take them and pick them up from school. then when they get home they’ll be tired and drained from work, giving little attention and care to the child.
school is the main factor and influencer.
and think about it. ever since, you’ve always thought copying was bad haven’t you?
doesn’t matter if it’s just assignments but for other things in life too.
I see it in so many businesses. People never copy others.
sure it’s not in the same way of being ‘scared’ but the same programming stands in them since they were children.
now all they do is just express it differently. they use their ego to defend themselves and stop them from copying competitors who are clearly doing better than them.
they think they are better, they think they don’t need to use their tactics.
this is literally the ‘copy programming’ from school speaking. not their pride or their ego.
and that’s the scary part. because….
COPYING IS AN ART.
when I say this. I mean it.
every single titan business, multi-trillion company, and world class level entrepreneurs all COPY OTHERS.
it’s just so fucking logical and rational. the only thing stopping you is your childhood programming.
are you really going to let that get in the way of huge success?
I sure hope not.
but here’s where people get it mixed up:
they’ll copy too much. (they won’t filter or do any research)
they’ll lose their own personality getting it from others.
they’ll end up helping their competitor. (being seen as a duplicate or double)
and when that happens you lose.
you lose big time. that’s another reason why people tend to avoid copying.
they see it as a huge risk or a double edged sword. but what if I told you it’s a mechanism for success?
luckily you found me.
here’s the method:
COPY ONE THING ONLY
the max I would say is two.
but one thing doesn’t mean copy the whole structure of their website, or their product.
it means 1-2 small-medium things that actually make a difference.
(this is the formula) you need to:
do your research on what actually converts
pick one suitable and relevant for your business. (so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.)
then apply it into your own.
it’s really that simple.
e.g you like a marketing idea that your competitor or some other business used? then you incorporate it into your own marketing with your own touch. NOT FULLY COPY. you’re copying the idea not the execution.
remember this.
YOU’RE COPYING THE IDEA, NOT THE EXECUTION.
we can stray away from business now because this also goes for life too.
you see a hobby someone loves doing? try it too, in your own way. you might like it as well.
you see someone listening to a different type of music? try it, it might make you feel different than any other music you listened to before.
you see someone hitting a weird exercise in the gym? try it, it might be the best exercise you do for that muscle.
point is, stop letting your ego get in the way. you don’t know it all. you don’t know the best.
copy others, it will help you grow.
but apply the same formula as business.
do your research on what actually converts
pick one suitable and relevant for yourself. (so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.)
then apply it into your own life.
that’s how easy it is.
because if we really think about it. our whole life came from copying others…
when we were children, we would pick up our father or mothers behaviours and characteristics and we would carry into adulthood for the rest of our lives…
then we see our favourite celebrity try something we ‘hated’ before, all of a sudden we love it.
we subconsciously copy the people we love. that’s why when you’re around your friends for too long you somehow begin to start talking and acting like them.
that’s the beauty of it.
but for most people, it’s just a ‘brain mechanism’…
but for us, it’s a new opportunity to grow.
we should be copying others that we see can provide a beneficial change in our life.
do not do this from someone who is factually and actually below you. or you’ll get dragged down to that level too.
you need to use it effectively, because it really is a superpower.
it’s so easy to apply too. It’s not like I’m asking much from you.
just by applying this, you’ll naturally break down the walls of your ego. (which has prevented you from doing so many things in life.)
you’ll literally be free.
and not only that, if you copy someone and you end up liking it a lot? that’s also another win for you.
imagine how many hobbies and interests are out there that fit perfectly into your soul but you haven’t found yet because your closed off and not willing to open yourself into newer perspectives.
there’s a saying I constantly say. and it’s not some gandhi type of quote or some sentence I copied off a shakespeare book. it is….
‘ALWAYS BE OPEN MINDED.’
simple, but so useful.
this will help you evolve. and being open to copying is a direct category of being open minded.
I mean what else symbolises this better?
It’s genuinely an art. for business AND life.
I’ll be honest, I got this from business. Then I converted the same analogy into real life.
Because business is really just a mirror of our realities. (I might have come up with my next post)
But point is, these 2 go hand in hand. If copying works in business (which it does, especially for me.) It will also work in life.
Don’t forget this my friend. Break that stupid childhood programming of ‘copying is bad’ because truthfully….
WE ARE ALL COPIES AT THE END OF THE DAY.
btw I posted this at 2 AM, someone said writing is better when your deep into the night. so I copied his advice…
- soul