Like Playdough
I think I'm easily shaped by the people around me. Like playdough. I'll take on some aspect of a friend's laugh, adding their huhuh build-up to the start of my own. From another friend, I might sprinkle in the way they start their sentences with "Honestly,...". My sister's expressionless "What." of disbelief makes its way into my repertoire of reactions.
It's interesting that these mannerisms so easily make their way into my own behaviors. Sometimes I wonder if this happens because my own sense of self is...shaky. Could it be that I adopt them because I don't like some of my own attributes? I've certainly observed others whose characteristics and quirks seem constant and unwavering. Do those people love themselves more? That might be a small part of it, but I've also seen others participate in this phenomenon as well.
I believe that I experience this because I like these people. Subconsciously, and maybe even consciously at times, I want to experience a tiny fraction of what it is to be them. I let it mold and shape me, even if it's only a small dimple. Most of the time these tendencies don't last and my shape changes, especially if my exposure to them fades. But once in awhile they can surface again, as if a little impression is still there.