This is how the order of your birth shapes your personality

Our personalities are shaped, to a large extent, during our childhood years and the order of our birth (eldest, middle, youngest or the only child) has a large role to play in shaping our thoughts. Some get a lot of attention while others may have to fight for the spotlight but the fact remains that it is an important factor which makes us who we are. So, which one are you?

Which one are you? (Image Source: Shutterstock)

#1 The eldest child

The Eldest Child (Image Source: Shutterstock)
Did you know that every astronaut to have ever gone into space has been the firstborn of their family? Did you know that more than half of all Nobel Prize winners and US Presidents have been firstborns? So, what is it about them that makes them achieve things that others can only dream about?

Barack Obama (Image Source: Pinterest)
Firstborns usually follow their parents lead as they are the only people they can look up to. With parents gushing over them, motivating them at every stage and being completely supportive of everything the child does, the child gets motivation from within to succeed. The praise matter to the child and the willingness to succeed and keep receiving those praises are generally high.

JK Rowling (Image Source: Pinterest)
They are also the kind of people who tend towards perfection. Being internally driven, they are motivated to do things in the best possible way and they don’t like mistakes. They expect a lot from themselves and since they lead from the front, they expect the same standards from others as well. Born in the lead, they are born to lead.

Oprah Winfrey (Image Source: Pinterest)
Some of the most famous elder children include the names like Barack Obama, JK Rowling, Winston Churchill, Kate Middleton, Oprah Winfrey, and Richard Branson. #2 The middle child

The middle child (Image Source: Shutterstock)
Middle borns usually take their lead from the elder child. They respond to the behavior of the eldest child. So, if the elder child is calm and composed, chances are that the middle child would be a bit rebellious to attract the parent’s attention. They usually go for attitudes that are opposite to the elder child.

Princess Diana (Image Source: Pinterest)
Being in the elder child’s shadow, they also develop a keen sense of diplomacy. Since they understand how to act in response to some other act, they can be really good negotiators. And since they do not fall perfectly into any label, their personalities could really vary from one to another.

JFK (Image Source: Pinterest)
The result of all the above factors is that they develop a very high degree of independence as well. They understand themselves very well and are very aware of what their strengths and weaknesses are. They know how to use them well making them one of the most practical people you can come across.

Madonna (Image Source: Pinterest)
Some of the most famous middle-born children include the names of Princess Diana, JFK, Bill Gates, Martin Luther King, and Madonna. #3 The youngest child

The youngest child (Image Source: Shutterstock)
The coming of a third child generally puts parents into a ‘been there done that’ mode. They have handled two kids and they are no longer nervous about how to handle a child or take care of their responsibilities. Parents, therefore, generally do not go hard on the young ones and the child receives more liberty than the first two.

Cameron Diaz (Image Source: Pinterest)
Parents usually let things slide when it comes to the youngest child. The child, on the other hand, receives love from both the elder siblings as well as the competition that comes with it. So, young children often find themselves in a unique position where they do not understand their exact roles. This is not a bad thing as it opens multiple doors for them.

Halle Berry (Image Source: Pinterest)
Since the youngest children do not have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities, they get the liberty of being creative. They can try new things, they can explore new avenues and enter fields like arts, design etc. since they really don’t feel like they have anything to prove to anyone. It allows their creativity to shine and they can really think out of the box.

Some of the most famous youngest children include the names of Halle Berry, Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz. #4 The only child

The only child
The only child gets treated the same way as the firstborns do. The result is that they share similar traits like those shown by firstborns. They too, are motivated and inspired to succeed and they love the adoration which comes their way, through their parents.

Daniel Radcliffe (Image Source: Pinterest)
One concern that they do face is that they spend most of their time with adults, in the absence of other siblings. This either makes them feel very responsible at a very early age or they may completely reject the adult-like behavior since that is all the child has seen.

Natalie Portman (Image Source: Pinterest)
They do shoulder almost all the expectations of their parents and since there are no siblings to share the expectations, the only child usually works harder than others to be true to what’s expected of them. They receive love unconditionally and the willingness to reciprocate in turn makes them extremely dedicated, driven, and ambitious.

Some of the most famous only children include the names of Maria Sharapova, Natalie Portman, Alicia Keys, Al Pacino, and Daniel Radcliffe.