When you think of the word “innovation”, certain connotations pop up. Revolutionary. Progression. Success. A person perceived as innovative flies ahead of the pack, solving problems and creating solutions based on their ability to think outside the box.
But what about the word “imitation”? Does the word carry similar connotations as well? Does it have that positive ring?
Not so much.
In fact, when we think of a person who imitates, negative associations form in our minds. We use phrases such as “copycat”, “wannabe”, or a poor man’s version. Given a choice, who would pick imitation crab over real crab?