Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Words of flattery may not be sincere. But action (imitation) is sincere. Who wouldn’t be flattered if someone imitates them in some way?
Example: In the conference, the Twitter influencer with more than a million followers was told by a follower that he has amassed more than 20,000 followers by following influencer’s advice. The influencer was extremely happy to hear that. Imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery.
phrasal verb：
hold [x] back
to prevent someone from doing something
I wanted to become an architect, but my bad grades held me back.
