The Influence Of Birth Order On Personality

Edward Albee said, “Your source material is the people you know, not those you don't know, but every character is an extension of the author's own personality.” Breaking that down, it says that you are defined by your surroundings. Are surroundings what determines success and failure? If not then what does? Can the fate of one person trace back to just how they were raised, environment, and how large their family is? Does birth order actually affect personality, and are there any contradictions to it? Many theorists believe that the order you are born in influences your personality, from dealing with friendship, work, or love. There is a large debate over birth order, with some stating it is false with no effect and many finding studies that
The firstborn is usually stereotyped as the alpha, for they are the natural born leader with high academic levels and responsibility. The oldest also receives the most attention, but also competes with the youngest, as the oldest is the most competitive and ambitious (Ratledge, 2015). Another reason for the oldest to have certain personality traits is they get their parents all to themselves before any other siblings arrive. First borns usually have a better percentage rate at achieving than other siblings, due to their adult like interest (Eisenman, 2009). They also get 3,000 more quality hours than the next sibling, which allows them to be more parent like around the other siblings since they were able to observe how their parents treated them. Top careers for first born are typically in the fields of government, information technology, engineering, and science (“The Birth Order Effect [Effect],” n.d.). However, high expectations can be made for the first born, and when the first born feels like they have failed their parents, they may start heading a different direction (Ratledge,