Born To Succeed? First Born Girls Most Likely To Win At Life

Latest research by the University of Essex suggests there could be stronger links between the influence of birth order on life traits of success and attainment than has previously been believed.

If you’re an only child or a first-born, or better still a first-born girl you probably knew this already though as, according to the stats, you’re the smarty-pants of the family unit.

With qualities like confidence, conscientiousness and a desire for authority in your general personality tendencies it’s no wonder that famous first-born females include the likes of Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, IMF chief Christine Lagarde, Angela Merkel and even Beyoncé.

IF YOU’RE A FIRST BORN:
Research in the Netherlands suggests first-borns win higher qualifications, while the University of Essex’s findings suggest that if you’re the eldest child and female you’ll be the most ambitious member of your family.

Why the bias? Well it’s not just reserved to the girls. It’s probably true to say that both male and female first-borns tend to get the undivided attention of their parents, often making their behaviour more adult from the word go.

This could produce a tendency for strong leadership traits, hence the fact that Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush were all firstborns.

If there is a four or more year gap between a firstborn and the next child they should retain this ‘adult’ form of behaviour, as they will often feel levels of responsibility for the younger kids, although the shock of being ‘dethroned’ when those younger siblings are born can also make them a bit stubborn and more prone to worry. (And before you get smug about your own firstborn status, keep in mind the fact that a study at the University of Auckland found firstborn children are more likely than secondborns to be overweight in later life!)

OVERALL: A natural leader who is smart, with a desire to do things ‘first’. Conscientious but possibly also petulant at times, plus a tendency to worry.

IF YOU’RE AN ONLY CHILD:
Only children, on the other hand, never really lose that parental focus and rarely get to share, meaning they should be aspirational but with a sense of entitlement rather than the need of a more competitive edge when it comes to attaining power or leadership.

A first-born might feel the need to achieve the most, marry first and be the most adult in behaviour, but for an only child it’s more of an open goal, and the only child can often retain a level of childishness and even egocentricity below the ‘adult’ behaviour patterns throughout their adult lives.

OVERALL: Aspirational but with a sense of entitlement, childish, egocentric.

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IF YOU’RE SECOND-BORN:
Some experts claim it’s the second child that gets to be the rebel, especially if there was a large gap in terms of years between them and the first child, which means they might feel the pressure of three authority figures in their childhood.

The second child is said to dislike being told what to do, but they can often develop an ability to use charm to get out of trouble. On the plus side their parents might have been more relaxed than they were with their first child, and those lower levels of stress and anxiety might have made them less prone to worry.

With their higher-power sibling and parents the second child will allegedly strive to be successful in a different field, usually related to financial wealth as they can then use money as their personal power base.

OVERALL: Rebellious, naughty, risk-taking, funny charismatic and possibly rich!

IF YOU’RE THIRD-BORN:
Third-borns are said to be born into quite a complex arena, with two siblings, possibly two parents and all those relationships to cope with and make sense of. This is said to make them caring and empathetic and probably quite effective in social scenarios or dealing with things like office politics.

The ‘ducker and diver’ of the family unit, third-borns often learn how to keep their heads down and out of the line of fire, making them both sociable but also self-sufficient. A nurturing streak can mean you go into a caring profession but it can also make you sensitive to unfairness or criticism, too.

OVERALL: Sharing and caring with an ability to see things through other’s eyes. You might lack ambition in terms of wealth or leadership, but your success might come from helping or coaching others.

IF YOU’RE FORTH-BORN:
Forth-borns are said to be low in power in terms of sibling pecking-order, meaning a common trait could be to sustain the power that comes from being the baby of the family. This could mean you get either spoilt rotten or virtually ignored by everyone or maybe both, depending on your siblings.

OVERALL: A lot might depend on the age gaps between you and your siblings. The larger the gap in years the more you might have felt the intense security of five parental-style figures in your life.

DATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
It seems birth order can affect our relationships as well as our careers. An only child will often be drawn to another only child without even knowing their background as the traits and life experiences can be hugely complimentary and cause complimentary behaviours.

First-borns are also said to pair off well, especially if the gap in years between themselves and their younger sibling is similar as it is in the case of William and Kate, with one year between Kate and Pippa and two between William and Harry.

Do you fit the stereotype within your family? Let us know over on Twitter.