That makes sense.
Why would anyone, who doesn't need anything from the other, mirror them consciously or unconsciously?
Yessir.
I was always surprised at the random lays from girls (that they initiated) that I had very minimal previous contact with. "I never did anything, wtf?!".
In this sense, I get the feeling that letting go of thinking how to win someone's approval is the difficult part, because you really do have no control over how another person reacts to you (directly). So becoming your own best friend and doing what makes you happy and focusing primarily on that becomes a frightening thought, seeing as you're admitting the lack of control to yourself and letting the chips fall where they may (though, of course, it's actually extremely liberating once that first wave dies down).
But, it's reality whether you accept it or not.