“Mirroring” isn’t an insult, or necessarily manipulative. It is literally built in to us humans! Our brains have specific portions dedicated to imitation and empathy called “mirror neurons”.
These neurons help us feel what others around us are feeling. It’s why you feel sad when you see someone else being sad. Or why it can make us smile to see someone else having a great day!
The behavior of mirroring someone is a form of social bonding (“See! I’m like you!”) which is the basis of building human relationships.
Having in-jokes and picking up particular quirks of people around us probably has a special jargon to psychologists.
I simply meant mirroring is more episodic/acute as opposed to someone changing and adopting that change either in perpetuity or for something a bit longer term
Edit: but now I think about it, my examples were more like that whereas the larger idea I was reaching for was that of whatever the root concept of memetic is
“Mirroring” isn’t an insult, or necessarily manipulative. It is literally built in to us humans! Our brains have specific portions dedicated to imitation and empathy called “mirror neurons”.
These neurons help us feel what others around us are feeling. It’s why you feel sad when you see someone else being sad. Or why it can make us smile to see someone else having a great day!
The behavior of mirroring someone is a form of social bonding (“See! I’m like you!”) which is the basis of building human relationships.
Having in-jokes and picking up particular quirks of people around us probably has a special jargon to psychologists.
But I think it’s really just being friends.
Is there a way to determine subtly if someone is all there in terms of the online-ness of these neurons?
I’m not a sociologist but I’d call that sort of thing a “microculture”.
I simply meant mirroring is more episodic/acute as opposed to someone changing and adopting that change either in perpetuity or for something a bit longer term
Edit: but now I think about it, my examples were more like that whereas the larger idea I was reaching for was that of whatever the root concept of memetic is
Edit: also funny cuz I use and love Memmy!