Copying what you see

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It occurred to me a little while ago that I unintentionally copy or imitate people I am talking to.

For example, there are two guys at work with mild lisps and everytime I talk to either of them I find myself talking with the same lisp. I find it difficult to stop.

Then there is another guy at work with an interesting face twitch and when I talk to him, or for a while afterwards, I catch myself doing the same twitch.

Very odd but at the same time somewhat fascinating.

Anyone else do this?

 

[Spiller]

I have a pronounced chameleon accent, where I unintentionally imitate regional accents when I'm talking to people. I've come across reference to this in books on Aspergers as a way of attempting to fit in. It drives me nuts as I sometimes can't remember what my own accent is!
Also, it's something that can be seen by others as 'fake', even though, for me, it just happens.

 

[Harrison]

I have always done that, it is how I learnt to create my social masks. In NLP they refer to it as 'modelling' i.e. modelling yourself upon the characteristics that you admire or find useful in others.

Having said that, I don't imitate people ad hoc.

 

[shakeitup94]

Yep I do it a lot too. I often find I imitate people I have a lot of contact with or an actress I really like or character I like.

 

[square_peg]

Thanks everyone. I assumed it was related to my Aspergers but don't know any other Aspies so wasn't sure if others did it too.

Kind of comforting to know its not just me who does this.

 

[DogwoodTree]

I have a pronounced chameleon accent, where I unintentionally imitate regional accents when I'm talking to people. I've come across reference to this in books on Aspergers as a way of attempting to fit in. It drives me nuts as I sometimes can't remember what my own accent is!

I just came on here to post a thread asking about this very thing! My accent adapts to whomever I'm talking with. Sometimes it's extreme redneck, sometimes Hispanic, sometimes Minnesotan, or whatever else of the people I'm talking with. I even pick up accents from people I watch on TV. Lately I've been watching Star Trek DS9 a lot, and for some reason O'Brien's accent keeps getting stuck in my head so even my thoughts have his accent!

 

[StephF]

I do the same but in my case it takes many weeks to really manifest itself. It seems that people don't notice I am mimicking them because it takes time to come on.
Although to be fair, a lot of the time I don't realise I am doing it

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

Come to think of it, I do.
Though my tendency to crack jokes in conversation is not an imitation. Although I got a cousin who also makes similar types of jokes (poop ones), which is what I do, so I don't know...perhaps I copied him and made that my thing!

 

[grommet]

It is the same for me. While visiting the Southern United States, I took on the accent of the people I spoke to. It just happened. I had no plan to do it. My girlfriend at the time thought I have being fake but I wasn't. I wasn't in control, it just happens.

I have a pronounced chameleon accent, where I unintentionally imitate regional accents when I'm talking to people. I've come across reference to this in books on Aspergers as a way of attempting to fit in. It drives me nuts as I sometimes can't remember what my own accent is!
Also, it's something that can be seen by others as 'fake', even though, for me, it just happens.