When I was a kid we used to have this saying for those who copied us. I said like this: “Copy cat, dirty rat, sitting in the butcher’s hat.” Then we would stick our tongues out at the person who copied our work (or style) and brand it with disdain, kind of annoying her … you know, the evil eye and all that. As children we were brutally honest, weren’t we?

Copy for children; it is a temptation to which many are inclined. We have the same problem as adults, although it has less purpose: we tend to copy what others do, sometimes without realizing it, and especially if we see a reward in it.

For example, on the roads we imitate others in a second. Maybe I drive 3-4 hours most days of the week, because the location of my home, work and family is geographically crazy. Often I will be sitting right at the speed limit on a long, straight stretch of road and I will notice someone running past me. Others behind them see it and do the same. Without the first driver model, I wonder if others would follow so quickly. I see incredibly stupid things on the road due to this very phenomenon. And I do the same from time to time, that is, I take unnecessary risks in a moment without thinking.

Basically, we all evaluate what we can do instead of choosing the right thing to do: arrive at the destination in one piece, intact and unharmed. To stay safe on the roads, we must meet this higher standard, not go the way of the mob.

It is the same in all areas of life, not just on the roads. We need to live to do the right thing regardless of the consequences.

Copycats are never really better in the end. “It is better to live well and be poor than to be sinful and rich.” -Psalm 37:16 (CEV). There is much peace for the person who forges his own path from what is right.

Copyright © 2009, SJ Wickham. All rights reserved throughout the world.