Is it normal to impersonate people?

1 Comment

More information about this. Since I was about 7 years old, I would literally take on the personalities of other people that I admired, or needed to act like them to deal with certain situations in life,even dress like them and talk like them, it seems to help me cope with different situations. I am 40 years old and I still do this. The people change all of the time that I choose, and when I choose, usually from a week or so, to a few months. I have total control over when, whom and for how long I change into that person. Furthermore; I must have accumulated over100 people. One big problem for me is, I am not sure who I really am and my original personality. FYI, these people that I take on are anyone from friends, to celebrities, to cartoon characters, and their sex can be different to, this does not change my sexual preference, just my personality, and if its a female, I do not talk like a female or where lipstick or anything like that. I just seem to admire certain traits of a person, than change whatever I like about that person to pretend to be that person. All of this also happens when I want it to, I do not black out and wake up someone else or anything like that. It is almost like I am an actor, and I get into the role.

Sounds like a serious mental disorder, get help! 2
Not normal,GET HELP!!! 1
Acting like over 100 people is not ok! 0
Act, as long as it does not confuse you as to whom you are! 2
Acting like people you admire is ok. 2
Everyone acts a little like someone else. 2
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Comments ( 1 )
  • dom180
    11 years ago

    I think it's normal to take on some characteristics of people you admire, in fact I think most people do it either deliberately or subconsciously. I've even done it with other IINers before. It could be just a phrase they used once which I like or a mannerism I think is interesting, or it could be something bigger like lifestyle choices or values. Or it could be something artistic, like the style they write in.

    I think it stops being normal when you decide to "become" that person, though. When it becomes a change in your identity. You have value too, and there's no need to cover it up by turning into someone else.

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