Wednesday, 07 January 2009

• Does Birth Order Have an Influence on Your Personality?

   by Mama Monkey

  

  I'm #5 of 7.  I am a generally very compliant person that does not usually like to make waves. I tend to be pretty quiet, but will speak up if I feel strongly enough about something or if somebody pushes the right button. Though I would not think it of myself, I have had many others tell me that they see me as a leader. I go my own way and generally don't let the opinions/actions of those around me change me. I, of course, would prefer to have things my way, but compromise is not beyond me (though I know I can be very manipulative sometimes and that is something I cam trying to work on).

  When I took a quiz on line, it pinned me as a first born personality - which I actually found very interesting. What are you? Your kids?
  
  There are a boat load of books and articles (both web and magazine) on this subject. Talking about everything from birth order determining your personality to it determining what you will do when you grow up. I look at my brothers and sisters and would have to say that some of them fit the 'type' their birth order says they would and others are completely opposite. Here are the basics of what I found.
  
  There are both compliant and aggressive first borns. A compliant first born is a people pleaser, craves approval, is caring and nurturing, cooperative and conscientious. The aggressive first born is a perfectionist, a natural leader, is very driven and conventional. They must have things their way and always under control. The compliant first born will 'grin and bear it' whereas the aggressive first born is much more assertive. Both types of first borns are energetic, logical, ambitious and scholarly. They often have a greater level of confidence, are patient and organized and have the confidence to dream and plan. However, they also often carry and innate fear of being dethroned, tend to be perfectionists and overachievers and can constantly worry about not being good enough. They often choose careers that are very black and white and can have a hard time with creative projects. It is common for a firstborn to be in a position of leadership (owner or boss of company) as they do not like to take orders from others.
  
  Middle children, as usual, seem to kind of be left in the dark - lost between their younger and older siblings ... and their personalities are often defined by their older sibling. In general, a middle child is going to be the opposite of the child before them. One can be a quiet, shy, impatient and uptight loner. While another middle child may be very outgoing, friendly, patient and laid back. Traits the two types often share include that they are flexible, diplomatic, competitive, seek a lot of attention and tend to rebel. They will often choose careers that allow them to be creative and don't like strict rules. They want to be able to complete things on their own time-line. They can make good management material because they are generally very level-headed.
  
  Then there are the last born children. Research says that they are often the easiest to pick out. They tend to be risk takers, idealists, immature, secretive and sensitive. They seek a lot of attention, have a good sense of humor and are hard working. But they can also be very spoiled, manipulative and self-centered. Many end up in careers that involve selling something and generally work better alone as they like to do their own thing at their own pace. They are more likely to feel lost and, as a result, try to hard to impress those around them.
  
  Of course, this is not all there is to who we are. There are countless other things that shape us as we go through out lives. But, looking at these general descriptions, do you fit your birth order type? What about your kids? Does this explain some of their behaviors? I know my oldest and middle children, right now, fit these descriptions pretty much to a 'T'.

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