--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe really strongly in imitation…" description: "\"I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/eleanor-catton-2384_able_i-believe-really-strongly-in-imitation-a_1997150.png" --- # I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think… ![“I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something works. True mimicry is actually quite difficult.” quote by Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/eleanor-catton-2384_able_i-believe-really-strongly-in-imitation-a_1997150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/eleanor-catton-2384_able_i-believe-really-strongly-in-imitation-a_1997150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/eleanor-catton-2384_able_i-believe-really-strongly-in-imitation-a_1997150.png) > “I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something works. True mimicry is actually quite difficult.” [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imitation is a primary learning tool; by mimicking, one can grasp underlying mechanisms, though true mimicry is challenging. **In simple terms:** Copying helps understand how things work. Key Takeaway Use imitation to learn complex systems. Themes learning imitation understanding skill acquisition Mood curious analytical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - education - craftsmanship - software development - art - science Key Concepts cognitive psychology modeling expertise development Questions to Reflect On - When does imitation become plagiarism? - How can we balance imitation with originality? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Mimicry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mimicry/) ## Related quotes > [Every athlete learns by theft and mimicry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/every-athlete-learns-by-theft-and-mimicry/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Even a man's exact imitation of the song of the nightingale displeases us when we discover that it is a mimicry, and not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-a-man-s-exact-imitation-of-the-song-of-the-nightingale/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [I feel very strongly influenced by long-form box-set TV drama... 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