Unit 6 page 49 read
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Birth order and success.
If asked, most parents would say that they love and treat all their children equally. However, according to several experts in psychology, a child's position in the birth order has an impact on his or her personality, behavior, learning, and ultimately the child career path. conventional wisdom says that there are natural differences in the way that birth order affects people. For example, parents often keep tabs on first born children, while children born later typically have fewer rules. Furthermore, many people believe that the youngest child seems to get away with murder because parents have experienced everything before.But is there truth to this theory that birth order can affect our personalities? Ben Dattner, a psychologist based in New York, believes there is. He says. Depending on birth order, there are special roles within families leading to different adaptation patterns and different personalities. He believes that the stricter upbringing of first born children leads to them being more extroverted and confident. They also tend to be more responsible because their parents rely on them to help with the younger children. As a result, first born children usually have some power over younger siblings who may even look up to them as substitute parents.
Second born and middle children often feel overlooked by their parents, especially if another child is born before they are two years old. Second born children are not given as much responsibility as first born children. According to Dattner, they are more accommodating and they are also receptive to new experiences. Many second born children are quiet and they prefer to observe instead of participate in family dramas. The youngest child is usually the most creative. Dattner believes this is a result of the more relaxed attitude their parents often have towards them. They are given freedom to experiment in play and they often have fewer restrictions. However, youngest children tend to enjoy the attention they receive, and this can cause them to be manipulative to get what they want. Clearly birth order can affect personality. But what about career advancement and success? Michael Grose, author of why First Borns Rule the world and last Borns want to change it. Strongly believes that birth order affects career choices and ultimately earning potential. To support his opinion grose cites several studies which have shown that firstborns and only children usually reach higher educational goals, obtain greater status, and have greater financial success. They tend to be ambitious and disciplined compared with their younger siblings. They are usually determined to succeed, yet fearful of losing position and rank. They are more likely to have careers that require higher education, like medicine or engineering. If they choose a business related career, they are more likely to reach the senior management level.
Second born or middle children are good at negotiation. Peacemaking and compromise, gross says. They are easygoing and are usually closer to friends than to family. They tend to have excellent people skills so they may enter fields such as law enforcement, counseling or marketing. Youngest children love the limelight and are used to being in it. They are charming, creative and have a good sense of humor. According to Grose, they often gravitate toward artistic careers. Because of. This they may earn less money than their older siblings. However, not all youngest children are interested in the arts. They're also successful in journalism, advertising, and professional sports.
Although grows and Dattner are strong advocates of birth order differences. It is important to acknowledge that birth order is not the sole determiner of an individual's career. Or earning power. For example, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, is a middle child. Thus showing that other factors can override birth order in determining one's career and financial success.
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