How Birth Order Affects Personality Type

Sibling Relations Form Character Traits

Are you a very neat person? Do you try to color coordinate your clothes? Love making lists? There's a good chance you're first born.

Your birth order affects your personality and nearly every aspect of your life, but it is only one of many factors in personality development. Birth order can be altered by illness, early death,or the mental incapacity of a sibling.

First-Born Children

First-borns often are high achievers and are very conscientious, reliable and loyal. They're also scholarly and feel better in control of a situation. Parents feel pressure and often demand the first child to be the best. This can result in two basic types or a combination of the two: those who are compliant and want to please, or those who are strong-willed and aggressive.

First-borns often have to grow up fast and become "little adults" before they're ready to be. If the first is a female, she may be another "mother" to her siblings. If there's a youngest brother, he may be "mothered" by sis even through adulthood. With the oldest brother, however, there's mutual respect and a friendly rivalry. Only children tend to have even more intense first-born characteristics.

Here are a few tips for coping with first-born status:

1. Relax - First-borns can be too active and many are workaholics.
2. Learn to say no - Don't try to do everything and be everything to everyone.
3. Don't aim for perfection.
4. Pay attention to details.
5. Stay organized.
6. Develop a sense of humour.

Second or Middle Children

Second and middle-borns tend to be a bit opposite of first-borns. A middle child can be a loner, quiet and shy, sociable, outgoing, friendly, laid back, a peacemaker, aggressive, very competitive, or unpredictable.

Their behavior traits are not as firmly etched as the first-born's, as their friends are bigger role models than their parents. Friends are very important to this birth order. Also, middle-borns and seconds can observe first-born and pick up some of his/her traits or decide to go in the other direction.

Although they're far more outgoing than first-borns, middles are the most secretive. They're also the most monogamous of all birth orders and have less hang-ups given that there wasn't as much parental pressure to succeed. They have excellent people-oriented social skills and often make great managers and leaders because they understand compromise and negotiation.

Youngest Children

These are true "people persons" or the "life of the party." The babies are often charming, friendly manipulators who have a large desire to make their mark on the world. They're also rather absent-minded, and tend to have real highs and deep lows. They crave attention and are often the family clown or entertainer. People-oriented vocations are their forte. This tupe makes a great salesperson.

Last-borns can be cocky, however, and they don't worry about the aftereffects of their actions or decisions. While they're uncomplicated and affectionate, they can also be rebellious, temperamental, spoiled, and impatient.

Youngest children could benefit by learning to be neat, accepting more responsibility, being less self-centered, and admitting their faults rather than blaming others, not to mention sharing the spotlight.