Does Birth Order Influence Personality?

[Champ]

<snip>
The theory, according to some experts, is that a person's place in a family's birth order can have a powerful effect, New York City television station WNBC reported.

Meri Wallace, a child and family therapist, is the author of "Birth Order Blues."

"Birth order has a powerful impact on people," Wallace said. "It determines how you feel, how you behave and it affects your relationships. It actually affects the mate that you choose to marry and the job that you choose to do."

Wallace says these are some typical birth order traits:
First child: Self-confident, a perfectionist due to the feeling that their parents watch their every move.
Middle child: Social, good negotiator, may feel left out in the middle position with focus going to the oldest and youngest.
Youngest child: Charming, may feel inferior to the older children.


What does Cal, the oldest Snisky child, think about being the most senior child?
"It's really fun, and sometimes I feel bossy," he said.

According to Paul, "The first one is used to interacting with one, and it's a shock when the new one comes along. Finally, with our third, he's our baby and he has four people running around trying to do what he wants and he enjoys it."
http://www.thelouisvillechannel.com/family/3784843/detail.html

[Skittles]

1. absolutely - first-borns are always assholes

:7

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I have to agree...

:hi: ;) I'm a baby of the family myself....

[Skittles]

3. I'm the second of six

I think the fact I am the only girl affected my personality more than birth order. :o

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I am the last of three and the little baby girl...only grand daughter as

well. Life was rough for me. ;)

[no_hypocrisy]

8. * is a first-born. You decide.

I know.

[CO Liberal]

5. If You're Born Fourth in a Three-Child Family...

...you have no personality at all.

:-)

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. ROFL!!!!!! Oh boy, I needed that. That is the funniest thing I have ever

read here. :hi: Thanks. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[CO Liberal]

12. Any Time, MrsGrumpy

:-)

[The_Tombstone_Kid]

6. TRIPE -EOM

[PittLib]

9. What do you suppose the effect would be if ...

If you started out as the younger of two, then added two older brothers and one younger sister at the age of five, then added an older sister at the age of nine and two younger brothers by 14?

THEN around the same time, subtract two of three older brothers and a younger sister while phasing out the older sister - but add another younger brother and sister within the next two years. In the meantime ... the one completely blood sibling moves away, leaving you technically the only child in your household. What does this make me?

I should mention that I am the only girl of my father's children, and the baby of my mother's children, and the surrogate daughter for my stepdad, because his daughter decided at 16, she wasn't speaking to him anymore (for 13 years, until very recently) - so I am spoiled and shunned all at once. I don't know ... I'm still confused. :crazy:

[fugue]

10. Doesn't reflect my family

But my family was severely dysfunctional (both parents were clinically insane).

My brother, the oldest, is actually the most even-tempered of the family. He was the family diplomat, the one who tried to keep the rest of us from killing each other. "Asshole" is the last word I'd use to describe him. I think he should be appointed to the Supreme Court.

I'm the middle child, but I'm not social or a good negotiator because of having Asperger's syndrome. I felt left out, but that was a dysfunctional-family artifact, not a standard thing.

Youngest is pretty on, except it leaves out what she ended up with because of the family being dysfunctional.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

11. I have the "second son" theory

Where basically, the second son is always a teasing little bastard. It's true of my grandpa, true of my dad, true of my brother, true of my uncle (this one isn't blood related). Anyone have corroboration of this?

[NashVegas]

14. True In My Observation

Very true of the youngest of my older two brothers. Only he wasn't just teasing he was downright abusive.

[NashVegas]

13. "Baby of the Family"

Youngest of 5 here. And oh god yes it has impact.

Attention seeking: every one of my "youngest" friends took note, growing up, that we are the ones with the least amount of pictures in the family photo albums, our 'baby books' rarely get filled in past the name page, etc.

Flakey: I am the purple sheep of the family. They have no idea what to do with me.

Dependent: that's where I go off the chart. Being sheltered had disastrous consequences early on, so I ended up rebelling from that whole thing early on. Other than that, I'm a youngest child to the T.

"If you're the youngest child, you're probably:

* Compelled to make a contribution to the world
* A show-off who enjoys the limelight
* Both a charmer and a rebel--endearing one minute, hard to deal with the next.
* Often the family clown.
* Creative.

Youngest children are also:

* Often stuck doubting the validity of their perceptions because they were often laughed at or not taken seriously.
* Likely to be compelled to do what the older children haven't."

http://www-personal.engin.umd.umich.edu/~ayousuf/bro-sis.html

[CBHagman]

15. Middle child here.

I remember reading that the middle child appears in few photos in the family album. That says it all.