--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The characteristic of the first sort of…" description: "\"The characteristic of the first sort of religion is imitation. It insists on imitation: imitate Buddha, imitate Christ, imitate Mahavir, but imitate. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/anonymous-1_being-yourself_the-characteristic-of-the-first-sort-of_775830.jpg" --- # The characteristic of the first sort of religion is… ![“The characteristic of the first sort of religion is imitation. It insists on imitation: imitate Buddha, imitate Christ, imitate Mahavir, but imitate. Imitate somebody. Don't be yourself, be somebody else. And if you are very stubborn you can force yourself to be somebody else. You will never be…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/anonymous-1_being-yourself_the-characteristic-of-the-first-sort-of_775830.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/anonymous-1_being-yourself_the-characteristic-of-the-first-sort-of_775830.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/anonymous-1_being-yourself_the-characteristic-of-the-first-sort-of_775830.jpg) > “The characteristic of the first sort of religion is imitation. It insists on imitation: imitate Buddha, imitate Christ, imitate Mahavir, but imitate. Imitate somebody. Don't be yourself, be somebody else. And if you are very stubborn you can force yourself to be somebody else. You will never be somebody else. Deep down you cannot be. You will remain yourself, but you can force so much that you almost start looking like somebody else.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion often encourages copying others instead of authentic self‑expression. **In simple terms:** Imitation hinders authenticity. Key Takeaway Be true to yourself. Themes religion authenticity identity Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - personal growth - spiritual practice - social pressure Key Concepts conformity self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - Why do we imitate? - Can imitation coexist with authenticity? A Different Perspective Imitation can be a stepping stone to learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-yourself/) [Characteristics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Imitate Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitate-buddha-5987517/) [Imitate Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitate-christ-2037448/) [Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/) [Imitation Imitate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation-imitate-5987518/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-imitation-3273683/) [Stubborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stubborn/) ## Related quotes > [The real religion is not imitation of anybody else, it is a search to find out your own authentic self, who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-religion-is-not-imitation-of-anybody-else-it-is-a-search-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Religion is not an imitation of Jesus or Mohammed. 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Many people fail because they try to copy others, not realizing that everyone's paper has different questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-people-fail-because-they-try-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To do just the opposite is also a form of imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-do-just-the-opposite-is-also-a-form-of-imitation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acquiring knowledge is a form of imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/acquiring-knowledge-is-a-form-of-imitation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [every being is unique.god neva creates carbon copies,he alys creates originals.he is truly a creator.he neva repeats.but man goes on living in imitation.we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-being-is-unique-god-neva-creates-carbon-copies-he-alys-creates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. 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