How to Get a Friend to Stop Copying You

Although jobs, schools and hairstyles change, friends will always be there helping you through the tough times. This doesn't mean anyone is perfect. One of the most annoying experiences is when a friend tries to copy your life, habits or style. There are means to break a friend of this habit without irreparable damage to the friendship. Here's how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Analyze why this friend is copying you. Maybe you represent something she wants to become and in the end, it is actually a form of flattery. However, the friend may be trying to annoy you. If upon review, you think it is a means of annoyance then try to figure out the reason for the personal discord between the two of you.
2. Talk to friends you have in common and ask if they have noticed. It may be that you are imagining or projecting upon this person and she is not copying you. Your other friends may also confide that this is something this person does to everyone, thereby confirming your beliefs.
3. Ask this person in a polite manner to stop copying you. Sometimes the person may not even realize he is doing it and he will stop. He may also take offense, and if he does, quickly reverse gears and tell him you were mistaken. There is no need for confrontation if you can live with this annoyance and the person is a good friend. In addition, you have made your feelings known and he may now stop despite taking offense.
4. Observe his behavior after talking to him . If he persists on copying you then it may warrant further action on your part to stop this behavior.
5. Change the attributes or affectations this person is copying. If she is wearing the same clothes you are, then buy some different clothes. If she is using the same speech pattern, then change the way you talk. Don't make this a permanent change, but do this to see if the friend will follow suit.
6. Speak to her again, but this time more forcefully, if she continues copying you. Again, don't be too confrontational but make her understand that if she doesn't stop, you can no longer be friends.
7. Break off the friendship. It if becomes something that you just cannot tolerate, then it may be best to terminate the friendship. Obviously this is a last resort, but sometimes copying becomes too much of a problem to ignore.