How Birth Order Affects Your Personality

Birth Place: The Birth Order-Personality Connection

July 9, 2009

How Birth Order Affects Your Personality

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Most psychologists say there's no significant correlation between birth order and personality because it's impossible to control other variables, like a family's financial status, age differences, natural temperaments, marriage quality of parents, gender, and other endless factors. Still, they're as irresistible as horoscopes.

We look to birth order not only because it's definite and measurable, but also because we see evidence of its effects in nearly every family we examine. Who hasn't known an overachieving firstborn; the charming, freedom-loving baby of the family; and a forlorn, sensitive middle child. We could name someone who defies their birth-order personality, but they may be the exception. So with the help of celebrities, let's go over who's who and see if your birth order suits you.

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11 Comments

3 years 17 h

There is another scenario which wrecks havoc with these generalizations as applied to the middle child; the three child family where the middle child is of a different sex than the oldest and youngest. I was the middle child girl sandwiched between older and younger brothers. I grew up to be an over achieving perfectionist, a peacemaker and conciliator, and am noted by my friends for a wicked sense of humor.

sidra5397 3 years 44 weeks

Oh, and what if you've got like seven kids instead of like three. These rules sort of go out the window if you look at higher numbers... and probably different cultures too.

Chrstne 3 years 45 weeks

I am a first born, and I am successful, determined, ambitious, center of attention, and I am definitely smart. I have some of the negative traits as well. I am definitely high-strung. It sucks. My younger brother is an absolute spoiled brat, not as social, but he has some of the good personality traits, such as being affectionate and agreeable. He has the bad traits, too. My dad is the first born and exactly like me, and my mom is the middle child, and fits that description to a T. I noticed that with my mom she never wanted to be anyone else. My brother was always trying to compete with me. He never won...except at home, where he got the most love and attention simply for being the baby. Anywhere else, he was always in my shadow. This has always interested me.

Chrstne 3 years 45 weeks

I am a first born, and I am successful, determined, ambitious, center of attention, and I am definitely smart. I have some of the negative traits as well. I am definitely high-strung. It sucks. My younger brother is an absolute spoiled brat, not as social, but he has some of the good personality traits, such as being affectionate and agreeable. He has the bad traits, too. My dad is the first born and exactly like me, and my mom is the middle child, and fits that description to a T.I noticed that with my mom she never wanted to be anyone else. My brother was always trying to compete with me. He never won...except at home, where he got the most love and attention simply for being the baby. Anywhere else, he was always in my shadow.This has always interested me.

GlowingMoon 3 years 45 weeks

I think there's some truth to the birth order-personality connection. Generally, I make friends with those who are the same birth order as I am. These friendships come about naturally and easily. However, when it comes to dating, I date men who are a DIFFERENT birth order from me. When it came to romantic relationships, this came about more naturally and easily. Odd.

GlowingMoon 3 years 45 weeks

I think there's some truth to the birth order-personality connection. Generally, I make friends with those who are the same birth order as I am. These friendships come about naturally and easily.However, when it comes to dating, I date men who are a DIFFERENT birth order from me. When it came to romantic relationships, this came about more naturally and easily. Odd.

sidra5397 3 years 45 weeks

Hmmm... I don't know where I fall. I'm a twin but I also sort of fall into the position of the middle child. It's weird. I don't trust these listed traits; they don't really fit my family or any others I know. I also don't think that a defining characteristic of an only child is that they are very close to their parents. In my cousin's case, who is an only child, she's more overly dependant on them than closer to them than say me and my siblings are to our own parents.

genesisrocks 3 years 45 weeks

I always believe the nice things it says about me but I always think the negative things are wrong. Go only children!

lilkimbo 3 years 45 weeks

These are interesting but, as you said, not very reliable. The descriptions seem to contradict themselves. You stated that first borns typically have higher IQs and it's generally accepted that youngests are more creative. However, it's been shown that the most creative people tend to have the highest IQs. (Though not necessarily the highest SAT scores, since the SAT isn't a test of raw intelligence.) I read a while ago that we typically only fill these roles within our families and since I've read that I've noticed it to be particularly true.

lilkimbo 3 years 45 weeks

These are interesting but, as you said, not very reliable. The descriptions seem to contradict themselves. You stated that first borns typically have higher IQs and it's generally accepted that youngests are more creative. However, it's been shown that the most creative people tend to have the highest IQs. (Though not necessarily the highest SAT scores, since the SAT isn't a test of raw intelligence.)I read a while ago that we typically only fill these roles within our families and since I've read that I've noticed it to be particularly true.