What Is Birth Order Theory?
A lot of personality traits are often grouped using pseudosciences. Some will believe them, some will agree to disagree. One interesting way to get to know someone’s personality, which is backed by science, is to look into their Birth Order.
In the early 20th century, Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler believed that birth order—aka the order a child is born in relation to their siblings, could impact development and personality.
Aflerd Adler created a thesis about his theory named, Birth Order Theory which explains the correlation of each different positions in family birth order (such as first born, youngest and everything in between) have a specific correlation to their personality.
Birth Order Theory Characteristic
- First-Born Child
As new parents are still learning about child-rearing, they tend to be more rule-oriented, strict, and cautious towards their firstborns. Firstborns tend to be more success-oriented since they have experienced having another child divert attention away from them. Research has also found that firstborn kids tend to have more advanced cognitive development, which may also confer advantages when it comes to school readiness skills. First-born common traits include: high-achievers, structured, leading.
- Middle Child
Tend to become the family’s peacemaker since they often have to mediate conflicts between older and younger siblings. Because middle kids are sometimes overlooked, they may engage in people-pleasing behaviors as adults as a way to garner attention and favor. Some research suggests that middle children may be more sensitive to rejection. Middle-child common traits include: adaptable, competitive, outgoing.
- Last-Born Child
As parents are more experienced at this point (and most likely much busier), they often take a more laissez-faire approach to parenting. Because parents are sometimes less strict and disciplined with last-borns, they may have fewer self-regulation skills. There is a different character to female last-born children, they tend to be more coddled, leading to a greater reliance on others especially in bigger families. Last-born common traits include: risk-taking, charming, free-spirited.
- Only Child
Because they have greater chances to interact with adults, only children often seem very mature for their age.They may feel more comfortable being alone and enjoy spending time in solitude pursuing their own creative ideas.Only-children may like having control and, because of their parents’ high expectations, have strong perfectionist tendencies.Only-children common traits include: Diligent, imaginative, self-reliant.
Of course, personality is not a one-size-fits-all. Though when analyzing patterns, the above characteristics are what have been found in most people.
Birth Order Character at Work
A consultancy agency based in the United Kingdom has shared anecdotes of its employees and their relation to their Birth Orders. It’s something fun to read through, and you may even relate to some of these stories!
- First-borns at work
Being the oldest, you feel a sense of responsibility to set the example for younger siblings and to teach them which develops leadership, conscientiousness, and organization skills early on. If you are a firstborn, parents tend to be more protective which may result in relying on their input before making a decision. Especially when I moved to the UK, I started being more organized and reliable. Prominent first-borns in the industry: Sir Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
- Middle children at work
Their ability to read people, their independent nature and inventive side can make them a credit to the workplace. Though known for being the peacemakers, middle children can also be ‘agents of chaos’. I’d argue that the eldest has to be the mediator more often. Prominent middle-children in the industry: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Michael Dell
- Last-borns at work
Studies from the University of Birmingham and the University of Reading, suggest that a youngest child born into a family who are not self-employed are almost 50% more likely to take a risk of going into business. The youngest of the family is usually very sociable and outgoing, which can be seen in the workplace too. Their charm helps them with the know-hows on working one-on-one or in smaller groups. Prominent last-borns in the industry: Larry Page, Michael Jordan, Sergey Brin
- Only-children at work
“I always wanted to please my parents, as I was my mum’s one shot at parenting success! So, I have always been quite cautious when making decisions.” Dr. Kevin Leman, author of The Birth Order Book, has stated that only-children are ‘like firstborns’, but with an even bigger preference for perfectionism.Prominent only-children in the industry: Jack Ma, Leonardo DiCaprio, Grant Hill
Mekarians as Eldest Siblings
We asked three Mekarians to share their personal experiences as the eldest sibling, and how their leadership role at home leverages their ways of working. Check out their answers below!
- Widuri, Senior Researcher, eldest sister of 2 siblings
“Sharing is teamwork. With my brother, it means exchanging books and Netflix accounts. At work, it teaches me to back each other up. As the eldest, I redefine expectations—it’s about showing how to decide wisely, not dictating choices.”
- Inbar, Talent Acquisition Lead, eldest brother of 2 siblings
“Communication plays a big role in determining everything. [As an eldest sibling] you will learn how to be assertive, to give advice, and to read the room properly. It is also about setting an example to influence the team positively.”
- Grace, Business Development, eldest sister of 3 siblings
“As the eldest, I prioritize family responsibilities and carry this commitment into my professional life. I’ve learned to make independent decisions, which also extends to work where I take the lead in problem-solving.”
Explore Mekarians’ stories further in the full post here.What is your experience like with Birth Order theory? Do you find you work and get along better with certain Birth Orders?
Share this week’s Monday Mavens edition to your favorite firstborns, middle children, lastborns, and only children. It might just make their day!
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Referensi
Very Well Mind. “How Does Birth Order Shape Your Personality?“
Work Psychology Mind. “Birth order: are middle children ‘agents of chaos’ at work?“
