APAD: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

Meaning:

   Its literal meaning.

 

Background:

   The first of these alternate versions is found in a biography of Marcus

   Aurelius by Jeremy Collier and Andr Dacier, titled Emperor Marcus Antoninus

   his conversation with himself, 1708:

                          

     You should consider that Imitation is the most acceptable part of Worship,

     and that the Gods had much rather Mankind should Resemble, than Flatter

     them.

 

   A nearer stab at the current version comes in a piece by the English writer

   Eustace Budgell in the newspaper The Spectator No. 605, October 1714:

 

     Imitation is a kind of artless Flattery.

 

   The full monty as far as this proverb is concerned was given by Charles Caleb

   Colton, in Lacon: or, Many things in few words, 1820:

 

     Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.

 

   Colton was expressing the same idea as Budgell, in that, to imitate is to

   flatter without necessarily being aware one is flattering. As such, that

   `artless' appreciation has to be `sincere'.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

This seems what we do on the jiu-jitsu mat. Each class, the instructor awes us

with a few techniques. Some, even shown three times, are still hard to imitate,

let alone applied in sparring. Some solo drills took months to master.

 

Through the snail-paced progress, my teachers have always been patient and

helpful. I'm very thankful but that must be it, that constantly being

imitated/flattered must be the main attraction of the teaching profession.

 

 

最西边的岛上
hahaha, did lots of those rolls before age 6 when bored ;-)
7
7grizzly
Great! I only try to keep doing them when I reach 60 :-)
最西边的岛上
very good writeup again 7G! leaning by following, Yeah!
最西边的岛上
but I had flexibility no strength while U will have both ;-)
移花接木
When I was little I imitated a lamed walk almost got beaten
移花接木
had I not run fast enough
最西边的岛上
hahaha, we all had funny childhood, but this topped it ;-))
7
7grizzly
Indeed. Not every imitation is appreciated :-)
7
7grizzly
Thanks. We all are :-)
最西边的岛上
but who would beat a lamed kid? someBadSomething (nonSwear;)
7
7grizzly
The way you put it, maybe the beating's out of love :-)
最西边的岛上
beating of a child is bad regardless, just I can't swear :-)
移花接木
the real lamed one to beat the bad kid imitating him
妖妖灵
The attraction of teaching is that the number of people
妖妖灵
you can help increases exponentially~
7
7grizzly
Sans neither proper gait nor sense of humor. Sigh!
妖妖灵
Lol, a bad kid!:) U should’ve answered: Imitation is the
妖妖灵
sincerest form of flattery!”:)
7
7grizzly
Yes. Yes. Yes. I've always been too cynical :-)
妖妖灵
When did you become a man with such a good sense of humor?:)
暖冬cool夏
Or echoing is. This rollover looks easy, but to do it seam
暖冬cool夏
-lessly needs repeated drills.Hope one day see your videos:)
7
7grizzly
Thank you. It could be age but that's nothing to brag about.
7
7grizzly
The move took me months if not years to do :-)
妖妖灵
这个APAD我以前贴过,你还记得吗?:)
7
7grizzly
Vaguely remember the proverb but not the poster :-)
天边一片白云
Wow. So cool. The hands did not touch the ground.
7
7grizzly
Indeed!BJJ aside, it felt great to be able to move like that