Does Birth Order Affect Your Personality?

[@MaybeeT]

He talked the least about middle children... we're still getting over looked even here.

[@DoorSCARF]

hahaha.... shit :/

[@Bishka100]

Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you there :-)

[@wildfyah]

MaybeeT 😂

[@_spooky_mars_]

MaybeeT I'm not a middle sibling, I'm a middle cousin. It used to bother me that my little sibling and older cousin got matching clothes from my grandma and I was the one who never matched. But I got over it. And I get in trouble the least amount 😁😈

[@sephimaru2198]

You know, this comment is actually pretty hilarious.

[@taylor_jane23]

As a middle child I couldn’t help but notice that you spent the majority of the video talking about oldest and youngest children, glossing over the middle children. Stereotype confirmed, we’re always forgotten.

[@stellam5872]

Interesting... wonder if it might be at all related to primacy and recency bias? (Aka serial position effect, i.e. our tendency to remember/pay most attention to the first and last things in a list more than the things in the middle of a list.)

[@thelordnaevis4946]

@I love Angelique not until you eldest kids can go bossy around your younger siblings, and the fact that your parents are proud of you all for being an eldest whatsoever

[@JB-kx9bx]

Lol I'm a middle child and I feel you.

[@little.pixiedoll]

I'm sorrrrryyyy this comment is so funnyyyyy🤣

[@justme8274]

As a mother of 3 daughters I can agree that the stereotypes are very much on point in our family no matter what I do they always a-line with these roles 😬 all my children are completely different and I love who they are but my middle does seem to get the short end of the stick and is always the one that’s not afraid to speak out (which gets her into trouble sometimes) but she is also the most kind hearted and compassionate kid I’ve ever met. Love all my girls! Even tho they alway think I’m favoring the other 😉

[@IsYitzach]

"...Doesn't explain why your middle sister ran off to start a rock band. That's because she is awesome." Opinion noted of a man with his own rock band.

[@ClaraLaherty]

I now must google Maureen Johnson's age to see if she would be the middle sister to John and Hank, and if so, write fanfic accordingly

[@gwenbosworth6420]

+

[@IsYitzach]

Of course not. Hank has his band Missoula, he hasn't run off anywhere. Other people might find it to be requirement, depending on their parent's opinion of the "music."

[@nathaliebazinga]

I'm that middle sister hahahaha more adventurous

[@lauraingeorgia5052]

I "ran off" go join a rock band & I'm the oldest of four... & I Still play in a rock band now. 😄

[@xSternenlicht]

hank: extraversion me: olive oil?

[@noelleb1455]

yerp

[@AstroFocus]

SciShow Psych is a brilliant channel! Loved this :D

[@postmortemprince3086]

AstroFocus I love YOUR videos, was just watching

[@punnygeo7386]

AstroFocus should have been psych show

[@a_e_hilton]

I can see Hank evolving, from kind of shy but passionate teacher to charismatic relatable teacher (that is, yes, still passionate too, i just wanted to use 2 adjectives yknow XD)

[@e13b]

crime-fighting spider XDDDDDDDD

[@notamirror]

Did they control for gender in these studies? A proponent of the theory I know attached different characteristics to an eldest son vs. an eldest daughter. I guess I still like the theory because it suits my personal mythology.

[@johnothansteley9266]

Where do you draw the line at what a "first born" child is though? I have an older brother but we have different dad's and he has an older sister on his dad's side and I'm a first born on my dad's side but I'm my mother's second child, so where do places us in these studies? And if different studies place differently doesn't that make them too inconsistent to be valid???

[@RilianSharp]

Yeah, one of my friends has like 7 siblings, but they're all half or step-siblings due to her parents each having married several times. And I have a half-sister, and she has another half-brother who's not related to me.

[@AquariusScanner]

The mother, who births the child. Given the genetic make-up and the obvious neurochemical bond made during a natural pregnancy is what's important. Every pregnancy changes the hormones and internal chemistry of a woman, and thus every successive child she gives birth to.

[@RilianSharp]

@ mrorangebeverage Are you saying that that's how they defined it in any studies done on this topic? And they made sure to include adopted people in the study? When random people talk about "first" "middle" and "youngest", they're talking about how you're raised, not what womb you came out of.

[@AvgJane19]

Johnothan Steley for me, I determine it by who I live with

[@RilianSharp]

@ AvgJane19 That doesn't work when your parents have joint custody. You end up living in two different places part-time.

[@CaptainPIanet]

That John background... Big Brother is watching

[@MephLeo]

Only child isn't selfish child! Only children of the world, UNITE! (Please bring your own stuff because I'm not sharing mine. Thank you.)

[@fatal_goose4017]

This deserves more likes hahahahah

[@kecukritiques2943]

Youngest offspring, here. From childhood, up until now, it's been a constant factor that when any of my three older sisters try to grab my parents' attention (most notably the trouble-making second-born), then I may as well not exist. And because my parents have been through the whole experience 3 times before, many positive things that I do are played down, when compared to the attention that my sisters got/get. For me, being born last ensured my place on the back-burner.

[@JoRiver11]

I think that one of the problems is that the stereotypes aren't very nuanced. Years ago, I read a book that was called Birth Order and You. If I remember correctly, it didn't so much talk about youngests as being spoiled. It was more along the lines that they tend to hang back and wait for overt cues when tasks needed to be done, possibly making them appear lazy. That's just one example that comes to mind. I remember the book seeming to be quite logical.

[@senorpants5604]

Never understood why only children are regarded as "selfish." In my non-scientific opinion, I have noticed the children of very large families seem to be more likely to say "thats mine, don't touch it" because so few things in their house are theirs, and theirs alone. Only children seem to share more, because they have excess of everything.

[@eeaotly]

Señor Pants Yes, it's true. I am an only child and I like to share when I can. I also do have "selfish" moods because I waa an unwanted and neglected child and, even today, I am being told this both verbaly and nonverbaly. When you don't want someone, you refuse to give him what it is rightfully his, you don't invest in him: money, time, space, energy, etc. As a result, he will have to fight eveey day for what it is his. And he will look selfish for strangers.

[@pwykersotz]

Anecdotal, but I know three only children as good friends, and they all have a harder time prioritizing other people. They tend to trample over them because they don't think early or often about ramifications on others. It's not about whether they're willing to share or not. Meanwhile, the siblings I know (of all types, oldest, middle, and youngest) definitely have the opposite mentality, thinking of others often. This sometimes holds them back from doing what they ought to do.

[@bohemianlucy4726]

I think that stereotype comes from the idea of how kids with siblings are supposedly told that they have to share (I.E. "let your brother take a turn") where as only children supposedly are never told something like that and never learn how to share. I'm not saying it's true, but I can understand why people would think that.

[@tortul1462]

Cries in 6 siblings ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

[@itshenry8977]

if you're in a family and you're the middle kid you're either gonna defend yall cookies or finna starve out

[@AaronKlapheck]

I have to call this episode out as bunk. While birth order itself does not determine your personality, parent's treatment of their children due to this birth order most definitely will. 1. Parents will have the older child watch the younger siblings - this happens to most multi-child families on a somewhat regular basis. This does not make the oldest more responsible but it sets the parental tone and expectation that they will be, so any child seeking to live up to their parent's expectations will most likely become more responsible as a result. 2. While the youngest doesn't have to be the spoiled child, they tend to be due to parental expectations. Most parents (myself included) when they realize they will be watching for the last time all the joys of a child growing up, will tend to hold onto that more. In addition, the youngest is simply smaller and less capable than their older siblings at any point in time due to their immaturity which effects their parent's expectations. Even if they become just as mature as their siblings at the same age, the parent's expectation for less maturity in general is still present. Lastly, when the youngest does leave the home they typically do so after the older siblings have left the home. Parents tend to earn more money over time so the disposable income is typically much greater than at any previous times in their life and they have one child in the home to spend some of the money on, so they tend to get more spoiled in this environment. There are plenty of exceptions to the rule but saying parental treatment and expectations have no effect on a child's development is just silly.

[@kennadizzle]

I'm the oldest out of three kids and everything you said is SO TRUE

[@chauncie8201]

Bravo! Great response

[@fazeedkotta2580]

You didn't mention middle children. We are always overlooked. :(

[@juanjolozadap4945]

Couldn't agree more.

[@Carla10987654321]

The point is, I believe, that there is too much exceptions. Family dynamics have general traits, but way too much variation. So you can't really afirm birth order affects personality with so many variables

[@erdvilla]

I get along with my 5 siblings, I am the youngest, and for some reason my sister (who is 14 months older than me) sometimes nearly got me killed XD She taught me to swim by throwing me into a deep pool, gave me jalapeño peppers saying they were candy, gave me my only two scars so far, hit me with a whip "playing", nearly burned me alive with boiling water in the shower, and so on. We get along most of the time, but she is the only one whom as adults I've fought seriously, she is very controlling and I won't stand that, so one time I pushed her out of my room with enough force that she fell on her butt but almost bounced back from the anger but as she was jumping on me I slammed the door on her face. Another time she hit me with a frying pan. But last fight was over 6 years ago, so it seems we are cooling down, and also helps she lives 7 time zones away.

[@anisatajy9445]

Just... wow

[@bibicute942000]

I'm so tired of people not knowing anything about me but as soon as they know I'm the only child, they said I'm selfish, self-centred and spoiled

[@alittlebitofeverything7410]

I'm always psyched for new video

[@ashleeellis2361]

i have always wondered how birth-order theorists account for blended families as an individual often holds more than one position in a family now. For example, I am my mother's eldest child but my father's middle child. This would seem to suggest I should be both neurotic and rebellious.

[@meligarrett9197]

Without going into why , I was a bossy big sister of 2 younger siblings until I was 3+ . Then I was an only child until 7. Then alternately youngest / only child and 7th in a close knit clan of 9 cousins. In this day and age birth order seems somewhat irrelevant. Family dynamics would be the bigger issue.

[@carliejung8408]

are u?

[@MindfulThinks]

Who else is the oldest sibling in their family? #intellectuals

[@nathaliebazinga]

:D I am a middle child and more intelligent and educated than my older sister. I will more easily manage, navigate and survive in unknown situations. I am also more creative than her. However, she is far more diligent than me and more conservative. She respects family values and is very responsible. Old school lady I'd say. It's not that I don't think she's intelligent enough, it's just that she isn't as receptive to any new ideas or information. She knows what she knows and I don't think that is a trait of an intellectual as you hashtagged. But she does possess some great qualities I don't have.

[@captaincygni2162]

I am the oldest, Middle and youngest child...

[@Gamerfallsapart]

MindfulThinks does it matter if your siblings have different moms? Bc I would be in the middle with my older brother

[@r0ot713]

MindfulThinks mee

[@Andrea-sl8wd]

@@nathaliebazinga Than she...😉 Wanna rethink your diatribe "middle"...?

[@yamyam7918]

You're not wrong that John is a bit neurotic though:)

[@erraticonteuse]

That's probably got more to do with his OCD.

[@Master_Therion]

where does Dave Green fit in birth order?

[@feynstein1004]

Who?

[@Master_Therion]

Dave is a fictional third Green brother. Nerdfighter inside joke ^_^

[@feynstein1004]

+Master Therion Oh right. Forgot about that.

[@JoRiver11]

Middle child, of course. That's why not everyone knows about him.

[@katefrost8500]

I always hated being the older sister and the stereotype. I could write an essay on it if I wanted to.

[@dababy7256]

I'm just like that naturally

[@MrKillerpumpkin]

I have two brothers, one older, one younger, we are all 2 years apart. Birth order theory *NAILED IT.*

[@catherine_dong]

Love this video! I often think that birth order theory is self-perpetuating. Because somebody came up with it, people think it's true and try to follow its rules.

[@daemia]

Firstborn are basically forced into becoming substitute parents for their younger siblings, and are expected to be more responsible from an early age as a result, not to mention going through the whole experience of having to be the default parenting guinea pig... yeah. Much fun and profit for the therapists!

[@taigathelitten7939]

and again they forget about the only child

[@xanadu2002]

Ikr

[@benderisback619]

Depression hits hard when one goes through a major personality change.

[@offrails]

For many years, I was the middle child - the older brother got the responsibilities and the younger brother got a little more attention at times. Both would fight with each other, so guess who had to sit on the hump during every single car trip.

[@silverfox4055]

Haha. The middle sister though. I'm a middle child/sister and I've thought multiple times of starting my own band, but not running away, no, that was my older brother. My younger sister however was spoiled all of the time at my grandparents' house even when I was really little and no one ever payed much attention to me. Because of that I have become unsociable at times and don't like being around people a lot. I'd rather sit in a coffee shop writing a story on my computer, in a journal, or even just reading a book with music in my ears.

[@Lunaureole]

The birth order theory doesn't work very well in my family. I'm the second oldest and the most responsible of my siblings, while all of my other sisters are varying levels of spoiled. I only became responsible because my older sibling failed to do so and I picked up on it at an early age.

[@lfa5684]

It's not a theory buddy just because you didn't experience it remember there are thousands of other families on this planet other than yours, don't be small-minded I don't think about your situation because that's only anecdotal evidence

[@Scereyaha]

I'd like to take a moment here to suggest that despite what language is used. Birth oder theory isn't intended to explain "personality" the way we understand it today [the big five traits], but rather tendencies in how people learn to interact with others based on how they were taught to interact with others in their family structure. it's less about who you are and more about how you tend to think of, relate to and treat others around you. Also, calling it birth order theory is deceptive, and the original suggestion flawed because birth order does not equal role. Discounting it entirely is like discounting entirely that your experience of your mother and father have an impact on how you come to see people and relationships. At its core, it's a suggestion that what role you fill in your family as a child affects how you learn to interact with others. It's greatest flaw was that it was too simple and made too many assumptions.... and isn't actually a "personality" measure.

[@Mangocoffee32]

"I have an older brother.." John flashes in the background xD

[@TheRABIDdude]

0:44 I really love you animated them to come in with at tilts like that XD

[@warriorcatskid003]

I’m an oldest child, I honestly fit the middle child thing so much better, and my younger sister acts like the stereotypical oldest child

[@4dragonblade]

I'm a middle child and I'm the most mature in my family, but I know I'm an outlier because my family circumstances are not normal. Of my siblings (there are 5 kids in my family including myself) I am the only one without a mental disability (mostly adhd and add) and as a result, my parents tended to focus on my siblings and needed me to assist them, so as a result of the added responsibility, I also ended up being more responsible in general without supervision. The last thing I can say, all of my siblings (when you discount me) fall under birth order theory pretty accurately.

[@monicacamille38]

I think that stereotypes do affect families still. I'm the middle child and I was told my whole life that I'm rebellious. Which isn't always a good thing so for me to say no to that is literally me rebelling so I end up being rebellious either way. 😧

[@jenjenneration]

So what if I grew up as a middle child of 7 girls, but then was forced into a oldest child role.

[@andrelee7081]

2:30 "Like, I have an older brother, he's pretty neurotic." I see how it is, Hank, I see how it is.

[@lizpresley9308]

For pure curiosities sake, I would love to see any information on a two sibling household.

[@Ryvucz]

I got screwed, second born, second boy. My bro got favor because he was the first born. He's special. The second boy was an accident, they wanted a girl, so when the first and only girl was born, she was spoiled too. But I arguably turned out better. The only one to graduate from high school, retired from the Army, and live in my own house. My brother is dead, and my sister is a narcissistic nutjob that refuses to hold a job for more than 2 weeks.

[@astra_music]

the only difference i've seen in the people around me is that older siblings are more likely to laugh when someone else is in minor pain/annoyed while younger siblings are more likely to sympathize/make people stop laughing at them

[@BevaBanzai]

Oldest of 9 siblings, I was the rebellious one. Didn't start a rockband but had other shenanigans going.

[@waterfoker8558]

its the environment that determines how a person grows/evolve. if you live in the desert, you adapt to live in that environment. if you live with 10 other siblings, you live to adapt in that environment.

[@yellowchild33]

thank you hank green. i am the awesome middle sister who runs away and starts a band.

[@burt591]

It matches perfectly with my family, though

[@RoccosVideos]

Me too.

[@sciencesimplified2350]

Mine too

[@Link_Says]

#metoo

[@jamesconnors8095]

Here also...

[@burt591]

@Hattie Lankford Of course it's self reported, what am I supposed to do? To hire a scientist to publish a study on me and my family to convince you? Doesn't make it less true tho

[@Justbirdperson]

I am a middle kid, but I am more responsible than my older brother...( I am a twin so maybe that has anything to do with it?)

[@5slistenup.a10isspeaking2]

Anouk Kadijk same, and there’s 7 years between me and my brother

[@mybloodaches4668]

I have four siblings and I am the youngest. My oldest brother James is very laid back and he looks out for me but is not over bearing. My sister who is the 2nd oldest Courtney is the "nerd" of the family cause she likes anime and manga. She's a very anxious person and not open to trying new things. Aaron or the 3rd oldest is the "smart or perfect" kid. He plays 4 instruments, is on the honor role, straight A student, and he is in the band. He's very open to new things and is more of the quiet introvert who likes to joke around. Then theres me the youngest and I am not the most spoiled. My sister actually is. I am more of the artistic one. I like to draw and paint but I make straight A's and I'm on the honor role and I'm pretty laid back and am open to new things. The theory that birth order has to do with your personality is thrown out the window in my family.

[@babylo-fi3556]

I'm only spoiled because of the all the board games that had "youngest rolls/picks first" in the rules

[@Ngrizz4899]

maybe newer generations have changed this mold and Alfred Alder's theory was more relevent in his time

[@Aumerae]

ahe

[@dinosaurznspace]

Out of my siblings I was the middle child. I had an older sister and a younger brother growing up. My sister was 3 years older than me and was quite responsible, she was also like a second mother to me. I was the misfit clearly. I was on a different wave length than my family. I still got along with them but I was always misunderstood and unique. Doing things my own way and not being easily influenced by social constructs. Societies expectations of me, and my endless questions of everything around me (I was more punk in my ideals). My brother was 3 years younger and had it easy and became spoiled as a child. He got away with a lot of things. Perhaps my individual experience is similar to other middle children's experience. But it isn't completely inaccurate for the sibling birth order idea. Perhaps there is some truth that is in it.

[@Narsandorin]

One thing i always wander is if age between sibling affect personalty along with birth order perhaps?

[@RobynJG]

I have my personality and differential psychology exam tomorrow... this video is definitely helpful! Thanks guys!!!

[@NKr-qg7yf]

I'm the older sibling but i'm the rebellious free-spirited open one and my stupid sister is trying to act all responsible it's so funny lmfao

[@booboodadfool8015]

My sister is 8 years older than me so she's like a second mom. My parents were tired by the time I came around so they were more lax.

[@pragmat1k]

As my sister and I grew up I (the youngest) became the successful/responsible one, while she (the straight A student heavily involved in extra curricular activities) is the one still living at home.

[@TURBOMIKEIFY]

I mean. I'm 20 and the oldest child of 3. I'm way more rebellious than my middle sister, yet I keep my intellect above my sisters.

[@lhc090]

This channel is awesome!

[@ShreyRupani]

My younger brother is smarter than me. I just feel he doesn't get as much love as he deserves.

[@chair6180]

I don't have a middle sister, but she started a rock band anyway because she is awesome.

[@firstodlyspecificlast9647]

I used to be the middle child but then my older sibling died and now I’m neurotic

[@AtarahDerek]

Birth order absolutely influences personality. Firstborns are more likely to be Monarch archetypes and have either Si or Te somewhere in their primary function stack. Middle children are more likely to be Sage or Helpmate archetypes and have Se or Fi somewhere in their function stack. And younest children are more likely to be Fighter archetypes and have Se or Ne as their dominant or auxiliary function. Only children are a wildcard. Multiples develop personalities based partially on their birth order relative to siblings outside of their group, and partially on whoever among themselves first develops the strongest exteoverted functions.

[@reneerodriguez7368]

AtarahDerek Fighter archetype for the youngest, eh? That explains a lot for me. I'm the youngest of three and am pretty strong and resilient for having to fight off my older sibs! 😂😂😂

[@nathaliebazinga]

My situation is completely different, I still live with both of my sisters and we're in our twenties. I am the middle child and I could beat up both of my sisters with one hand only. When I think about it twice, I don't even have to bother because they will beat up themselves. Both of them are spoiled and hypochondriacs. I am the most honest one, rude, strong and independent. The older one likes to think she's in charge but she can not control me so whenever we fight she ends up playing the victim card and breaks down because she's emotional and it's intimidating to her that she's not in control. The younger one is just in her own fantasy world and doesn't even bother confronting me. I don't understand your archetypes. Middle children are the most independent and mentally strongest ones because they've always been in the shadow, never asked for help and learned to fight for themselves. Therefore, when they grow up, they have more power than the other two.

[@kieleyevatt2232]

I'm the oldest and my parents practically forget I exist

[@lesleylema5141]

I love hank green. Literally watching the video because he is in it . His previous videos helped me with biology and chemistry .

[@tubertz]

I have a twin brother and no other siblings. What does that mean

[@maryanneb1122]

You are fab! Thanks for confirming what I have thought for many years.

[@belamielczarski4199]

I love how accurate this videos are. They just feel very trustworthy, it's nice

[@jb888888888]

Depends on your definition of responsible. My older brother is more responsible because he went out and got a job, a career, lives on his own, is reasonably financially secure, etc. Or, I'm more responsible because I stayed home to take care of our parents and have little to no prospects of stability going forward.

[@teuast]

I’m sure birth order has an effect. But I don’t know how quantifiable or generalizable it is. I will say that my band, which is not a funk band, has younger brothers on guitar, bass, keys, and drums, and an only child on vocals, which I feel like says something.

[@polypepz9386]

That the oldest child is responsible is a lie. That the youngest child is a tattletale now that's true.

[@squiddler7731]

Those traits don't have anything to do with order, it's just the stages of development that most people go through as they mature.

[@exortus359]

All middle child here unite!! the most responsible, mature and nobody knows we exist!!

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

We are the peacemakers. Without us society would crumble.

[@alexlawson4173]

Without us, the dishes would never be done.

[@exortus359]

Alex Lawson so true, im the dishwasher all the time lol

[@anisatajy9445]

Not sure about that. My middle brother does nothing but eat, sleep, poop and oh also bully us. My youngest brother is our "slave" according to his words and since I'm the oldest and my mother's only daughter I get the most attention (that's also because I didn't stop my studies)

[@smoniqueaberline8081]

Illeia Oslo right here! middle child too! hands up for us!

[@mangeshburange6471]

the line regarding sister starting a rock band was pretty awesome ,I love you guys

[@Dorsa.Santoor]

Coooollllll I am supposed to have a presentation about this subject in a literally just an hour and I haven't collected anything like any information you are a lifesaver

[@salmanaisawesome]

I went from being the baby to the middle child and now an only child.

[@iamsuperiortoall.3888]

I'm the older sibling, but I am not nearly as responsible as my younger sibling.

[@hellogorgeous101]

Oldest child here. Can confirm: definitely smarter and more responsible than siblings 😎

[@Backinblackbunny009]

My husband was raised as an only child after his father straight up stole him from his mom at 2 and it definitely effected certain things, like his ability to share or create realistic boundaries (if you leave your important work docs next to the door where all the elementary aged kids have their stuff its unlikely to remain there weeks later when you need it and as the adult it's up to you to understand this and find a better location for storing important docs like the lockable filing cabinet)

[@leadingauctions8440]

Wait, what did those studies say about only children?

[@maxp3659]

I am an oldest sibling. My middle sibling is the most responsible

[@alianoyb8564]

Interesting. I remember when I first read something about birth order personality traits and I practically cried in joy at how it explained so much of my feelings of isolation and of feeling like the one that didn't fit in my family. I always believed that there was so much more to it, but it helped me understand why my parents and sister couldn't understand me and vice versa. Both of my parents are youngest children and both of my mom's parents are youngest as well. All actually were spoiled (not due to birth order necessarily). My mother spent my childhood actively telling me I was responsible for my sister - her wellbeing, her happiness and that was all that mattered. And that "we have to play down" any success I had (from good grades to getting my drivers license etc.) so it didn't make my sister feel bad because it wasn't fair to her that she had to wait or didn't get what I got. This did make me fairly neurotic, but because of what I was taught. I was taught that because of my birth order - but it's not inherently because of my birth order. I think more factors contribute like narcissism, mom had one sibling, and older brother, dad's a twin with older sisters, both are boomers - aka the spoiled generation in general (not an insult, just a fact in the US especially as parents who lived through the depression and 2 world wars wanted their kids to have everything) In other words, personality is too complex to be easily slotted into neat, easily defined categories and we should maybe stop trying.

[@Vedurin]

I think the differences between younger and older siblings might depend on expectations. Older siblings tend to have higher expectations of their younger brothers and sisters than they were exposed to by their parents when they were that same age. That tends to cause frustration and demotivation.

[@RilianSharp]

When silly online quizzes ask if i'm oldest middle or youngest, I don't know what to say, because I'm my mom's oldest and my dad's middle child. I sort of grew up half oldest and half middle, because sometimes my sister was with us and sometimes she wasn't.

[@rdcyoutubediary]

I want to know more about middle child syndrome because yeah, I am a middle child.

[@WowUsernameAvailable]

Thank you Hank, your videos are always interesting!

[@mateoglumac728]

My aunt has 3 children: the oldest is free spirit, she like to travel a lot and have fun, the middle one is responsible, reliable and hard working and the youngest is a rebel, has a big circle of friends and easygoing. And they call psychology a science!

[@lulylulyanka2676]

I'm the youngest and im not open to new experiences and im neurotic lol the weirdest situation i have seen was a sister that was about 10 years older than her younger siblings and despite that she acted like a little child. her two younger siblings which were actually ages 8 and 5 acted WAY more mature then her it was absurd!

[@iissacc]

I can spot an only child a mile off, they walk about like they've never got punched in the face probably because they haven't

[@user-pd8mi7ng7s]

MOOD FM : MF DOOM my experience is that all of them are whining little brats. if they get a papercut they expect everyone to stop everything and dote on them

[@georginafirelord2240]

It's a stereotype because it is often true - I know lots of only children that fit the stereotype, although admitted, not that many more that don't fit the stereotype - though you are definitely sure to notice that they grew up without siblings, even if you don't follow the rules of the stereotype.

[@sharnehaywood8260]

Georgina FireLord actually studies prove that only children are no different than their peers but they tend to have higher IQ's, score better on tests and be high achievers, similar to oldest children.... The stereotype was created by a psychologist who did one flawed study and psychologists and science and numerous studies have been debunking him since, but the "only child stereotype" still stands to this day because of that one flawed study from the 1800s. So technically, you may assume or they may drop verbal hints that they were only children, but studies show you can't tell who did or didn't grow up with siblings.

[@hellgxrl]

As an only child I can confirm this isn’t true but could be depending on the social class of the parents. I assume this can mostly be true if only child children who grew up in a richer, higher class. As of myself and maybe others in middle and lower class not so true, mostly taking the role of older child and bearing unreachable expectations, as we are the only child for the parents to pay attention too.

[@damagecontrol7]

well, there's been a link between educational level and the amount of children you have, with those being most educated more often than not having 1 child. more educated parents will undoubtedly have a kid with a higher IQ through nature/nurture.

[@manjunathanulaganathan9152]

Honestly older children seem to be more responsible in my country. I am the youngest and I am very spoiled TBH.

[@AngelicaSamash-e2c]

I feel like most middle children have a period of time where they are the oldest or the youngest and adopt those traits

[@charlotteKILLS]

I've never fully understood the "selfish only child" thing. When I was a kid, it was easy to share. I knew all my toys were mine, and at the end of the day, I could play with them as much as I wanted. I always shared because there was no hurt in letting other kids play with my things, there's no need to fight over who gets to play with what, because after playtime all this shit is mine anyways. Same with candy and treats and stuff. It's easy to share when you know you're the beneficiary of all the things in the first place.

[@beautifully_chaotic_art]

*I have middle child syndrome. The black sheep, wild child. Rehab was fun.* #overlookedchild

[@putridamayanti2326]

I am the oldest sibling. When I was a kid, my parents were fairly young and not too busy, so they had more time to enforce stricter rules, I had regular curfew and daily schedule, and I had better study habit because both parents had enough time to contribute actively. By the time my siblings came, however, my parents are less active because of their old age (the age difference between me and my siblings are pretty far, 8 and 12 years respectively, my youngest sibling's was a risky pregnancy because mother was too old), so my parents tend to be more passive *and my siblings don't even have curfew* (they go to sleep only when mother scolds them). They ended up a bit spoiled and less self-reliant. A lot of factors resulted in different ways of parenting, thus it also would affect the children's personalities

[@castellddu]

When I looked at birth order theories in the 1980s for a brief 'undergrad' level presentation there were six birth order theories and even then there was no reliable study and I was able to say there was no real birth order effect except perhaps the economic effects of first-born boys of middle-class families having a bit more money put into their education (which probably explains the slightly higher IQ data). It's good that 'recent' work has confirmed birth order theories as a myth but this was clear from the data available 30 years ago.

[@satokech1896]

As a twin I never know what category to choose anyway...

[@sjcross8]

My favorite part “So Birth Order Theory doesn’t actually explain why your middle sister ran off to start a Rock Band. That’s just cause she’s awesome.” 😂🤣😂🤣 I laughed so hard at this! I love it! 🤟🏾

[@ColoredMud]

Middle child of seven here, yeah I got overlooked growing up.

[@pokepawchannel]

Acording to my parents, my oldest sister is more spoiled and dependant, while I, the youngest, tend to be more independant and reliable. Acording to them, they tried not to spoil me while giving me love and always tried to expose me to new experiences so I would be more open minded. Meanwhile, my nephew is an only child and from time to time he's a total asshat

[@saosiskissaki464]

I am the oldest in my family with one sister... My sister is the adult with 2 children and I am a 12 year old in an adult body!

[@sourcedrop7624]

aren't most politicians the firstborn in the family? i've read that somewhere. so are most leaders in other areas.

[@NinjaNerdOG]

I went to Adler Graduate School, and we learned about birth order extensively. They didn't cover much of the newer research there, so I'm glad I watched this. I never really agreed with Birth Order, but I liked the idea of the Psychological Birth Order they taught us. That, if a family has kids who are more than 5 years apart, they can have different psychological birth orders than the typical oldest, middle, youngest, only. A family who has 2 kids, but they're 5-10 years apart, means both kids could eventually feel like only kids because there is less of a sibling connection between them. The older kid might feel more protective of the younger sibling, but they could also get super jealous and resentful. The younger could just feel like an only child because they don't see their older sibling as much as someone who is 1-3 years apart.