The Limitation of Imitation

Last time, Ron discussed how a holistic approach to our performance environment can unlock another dimension as opposed to placing too much emphasis on isolated variables. For example, focus on your whole recovery potential (sleep, stress and nutrition, combined), rather than the number of hours you slept. 

This week, we’ll address a specific component within our performance environment. One that Ron and I feel has incredible potential for us to improve our performance in all walks of life, yet also harm it. 

This component is imitation.

We look, and we copy. This is key when we’re impressionable toddlers - one of the first tools we utilise to learn and develop. We imitate people, and sometimes pets (I was a weird child), in our direct environment. The tale of Tarzan is a classic example of imitation (well, until imperialism begins).

Parents will see this more than anyone. When your young child comes back from a new environment having learnt something new, such as the F-bomb. Ooops. 

Mostly however, when we’re young we imitate to learn appropriate social behavior. We also imitate to initiate skill development. The simple acts of walking and throwing a ball. Imitation is the first level of learning. We copy based on what we see. However, developing the motor units required to walk, run, and throw goes beyond imitation, requiring engagement of trial and error; something not directly influenced by our environment. 

In our digital world, people and processes to imitate are everywhere. This is both the beauty, and the beast (anymore Disney references I can fit in?). The accessibility of knowledge, and how it surrounds us can be a wonderful thing for our performance and development. We imitate what we find online. ‘Online’ essentially becomes our own manufactured, bespoke environment. This opens us up to some huge upsides. 

Online sources are very low cost and extremely convenient. We can imitate from YouTube videos, TedTalks, Instragam lives. We have it all at our fingertips, literally. On some platforms, all we do is swipe up and down, or left and right (I’m not suggesting we imitate Tinder, mind). We can reach out to experts and converse with them 1000s of miles away.

Can you remember how rife online training courses were when the COVID-19 pandemic hit? People of all ages across many performance sectors were able to upskill themselves so easily.

However, there are considerations. 

Firstly, we should remember when information is completely free, the cost is mostly our data. I’ll keep on topic, so when we want to imitate those in our performance environment, we should consider what, exactly, it is costing us. Time? Data? Money? Whatever it is, is it a worthy investment for our development? 

Two weeks ago I quoted a French philosopher warning us on trusting ‘false teachers’. Those who want to be imitated purely to serve themselves (usually to sell a product or a service) or who operate beyond their remit. 

However, false teachings partly fall on us.  

The main limitation of imitation is to consider what we copy, and why we copy it. 

In my opinion, imitating purely as a means to an end, does not facilitate long term performance. It’s just copying. It’s not becoming a product of your environment, nor contributing to your performance environment. It’s simply expecting the results of the imitate-ee without engaging in the work. It’s why we need the process of trial and error when learning how to throw.

For example, reading the books that high performers read will not guarantee results. However, reading what high performers read may invoke process engagement and enjoyment in working on one's craft. We can thrive from that development, likely in the same way that ‘high performers’ do. The act of just reading will not turn us into a CEO of a major corporation, just because Google said Warren Buffet reads all day.

Another consideration is the validity of our environment. For example, clickbait articles and news reports from mainstream media. Down-the-pub Dave says he “saw on the news” a researcher claiming washing your feet in vinegar will reduce knee pain in runners. It makes the news for the novelty, not the validity. What we don’t see is the study will have been funded by Sarsons, published in a non-peer reviewed journal and the media cut the researcher reporting statistically non-significant results, stating any pain reduction was likely because time had simply passed. (Yes - I’ve made that up. No - soaking your feet in vinegar will not help your performance. I’ve tried)

There are both benefits and issues with learning purely by imitation. Yet, I think imitation is a great method to begin the process of learning. We can cultivate our own performance environment to maximise imitation. It needs constant refinement. I see it as a cycle: Imitate → Learn → Explore → Imitate → Learn → Explore.

If we stop at the copying phase we become a clone. Imitation is the tool to pull information from our environment, so we can embark on this fruitful pursuit of learning, of deep engagement and reflection, in order to achieve our goals in any setting.

Happy Sunday

I’ve been Shane. 

Bye. 

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