The reason why simply mimicking another person’s laughter, or the words they use, or their expressions doesn’t bring us closer is because it doesn’t really show anything. Simply mirroring someone doesn’t prove that we genuinely want to understand them. If you laugh loudly, and I merely smile, it won’t feel like I want to bond. It will feel like I’m uninterested, or patronizing. What matters isn’t speaking and acting alike, but rather matching one another in ways that convey the desire to align.
