If someone copied what you were saying and doing, this post will show you likely reasons why and what would make each of them more likely.
So, what does it mean when someone copies what you say and do? Likely reasons why someone will copy what you say and do are that they are attracted to you, they consider you a friend or that they are trying to fit in with your group.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why someone will copy what you say and do but there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.
What does it mean when someone copies what you say and do?
Below are likely reasons why someone will copy what you say and do and what would make each of them more likely.
They are attracted to you
The reason why they were copying you could be that they were attracted to you. When we begin to develop feelings towards a person we begin to mimic their body language as it can help to make them feel more comfortable around us and helps to build rapport with them.
If they are mirroring your body language because they find you attractive then there are a number of signals that they would likely be giving in addition to mirroring your body language.
It is more likely that you will find that they tend to touch you more than others or that they tend to find excuses to touch you. You should observe how they interact with their other friends to see if they touch you more than others.
When we are with people that we are attracted to it can actually cause us to have more dilated pupils than usual. This means that they will likely have more dilated pupils when they are around you. They will also tend to hold their eye contact with you for longer than normal.
You may also find that they tend to give lots of glances in your direction. If you catch them doing it then they might smile or look away quickly. You may also find that they tend to look at you when laughing.
You may find that they tend to stand at a close proximity to you and that they move closer or reciprocate your touching when you touch them or move closer.
Another thing to look at is their feet. You may not have thought it but the feet are actually a good indicator of what a person might be thinking. The reason for this is that people learn to control the expressions that they show with their face but they don’t think about what their feet might be saying.
If when the person is with you they point their feet towards you and they point their feet towards you when they are with a group of people then that would indicate that they are interested in you. Additionally, you’ll likely find that they may sometimes touch your feet with theirs.
They will also likely have open body language where they lean towards you slightly, have their palms showing and don’t have their arms in a crossed position. If they do have a negative looking body language then it may be that they are mirroring your behavior.
They will also likely talk to you more than other people.
They look up to you
It could also be the case that they were copying you because they look up to you as an authority figure. This would be more likely if they are younger than you or you are in a position of authority with them such as if you are their boss. However, it might also be the case that they look up to you because they think you are a cool member of the group.
They want to fit in with your group
It might also be the case that they copy you because they want to fit in with you and your group. By copying the body language that you and your friends are showing
They like you
On the other hand, they might be mirroring your body language because they see you as a key part of their own group. If this is the case then it is more likely that they will see you as being slightly higher in the hierarchy than they are since it tends to be the case that people mimic the body language of the leaders in the group.
Consider how they react when they see you
To help figure out how they feel about you, it would help to consider the way that they react when they see you. If they react by noticeably changing their body language, it would make it more likely that they have particularly strong feelings towards you. So, if they do things such as adjust their appearance, move closer to you, and make strong eye contact with you.
Consider how they interact with other people
It would also help to consider how they interact with other people. If you notice that they also copy your other friends, it would be more likely that they are trying to fit in with your group. Whereas, if they only copy you, it would be more likely to be due to things such as attraction or because they respect you in some way.
Consider multiple signs in their body language
When considering what their body language could be showing, it would help to consider multiple signs at the same time. The reason for this is that a single body language sign can be unreliable on its own. However, multiple signs that all suggest the same thing can be a lot more reliable.
If you want to learn more about body language, a book I would recommend would be The Definitive Book of Body Language (on Amazon). It shows you how to interpret body language and understand people's true intentions.