© Sokolova Maryna , ShutterstockDoes birth order matter for personality?
Oldest siblings may be the conservatives of the family, according to new research from Italy.
The new study finds that the eldest child of a family is more likely to be conservative than the second-born, which supports a controversial theory that has been kicking around the social science community since at least 1928. The question of whether and how much
birth order really shapes a person's personality remains open and contentious, however.
"We suggest that differences in conservatism between firstborns and second-borns stem from different strategies of optimizing the parental resources children can gain in the family system," study researcher Daniela Barni, a psychologist at the Catholic University of Milan in Italy, told Live Science.
Birth order controversyBarni and her colleagues were investigating a question with a long history in psychology. The idea that
a person's birth order can influence his or her entire life came from Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist who lived at the same time as Sigmund Freud. Adler theorized in 1928 that firstborn children are more conservative - in the sense of being resistant to change and preferring order and conformity - than their younger siblings, because the eldest child has had the experience of being toppled from his or her throne by the sudden arrival of a tiny competitor.
In 1997, psychologist Frank Sulloway expanded on the theory in his book,
Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1997). Sulloway suggested that firstborns are used to being dominant and prefer to uphold the status quo, while second-borns, looking for a unique niche to fill in their families, take a path of rebellion. Firstborns also stick to a conservative path in order to align themselves with their parents, Sulloway argued.
Comment: The propagation of the psychopathic myths and lies mentioned in this article have intensified in recent years as information about psychopaths has become more prominent. The mask of sanity that psychopaths wear is most effective when people know nothing of it. Now that the cat is out of the bag they're maneuvering every which way to remain unnoticed. But as always, knowledge protects and having an accurate and comprehensive understanding of psychopathy remains an essential building block for discerning truth from lies.
We're faced with a psychological information war from psychopaths that goes further than any government sponsored propaganda. It reaches into our psyches and into the social fabric of the present and past; it corrupts our philosophies, our morality and our family relationships. It's pervasive but it can be countered with human connection and a desire to understand.
In Political Ponerology, Andrew Lobaczewski describes his initiation into recognizing the world of this corrupting influence and describes how he and fellow students learned to counter it's influence from a pathological professor: Recreating a more human world is integral to overcoming the effects of the imposing psychopathic reality. Working on stronger bonds with friends and family, disconnecting from the stress induced rat race, and taking the time to talk over our problems with loved ones can provide a protective measure that we all need now and will certainly continue to need in the future. Pathology flourishes in isolation and the more we connect with others who want the same things, the better we can handle and process the hardships we face as individuals and as a larger society. While pathological types may be the origin of many of our world issues, we've only gotten to where we are because of our participation. It's our responsibility to create something else, and we need a clear head to do it. And as Lobaczewski writes, understanding the characteristics of psychopaths provides an additional layer of protection.
For further information check out these shows on SOTT Talk Radio:
The 'Wetiko Virus' and Collective Psychosis: Interview With Paul Levy
Surviving the Psy-pocalypse: Interview with Stefan Verstappen
American Heart of Darkness: Robert Kirkconnell Interview
Predators Among Us: Interview With Dr. Anna Salter
Are Psychopaths Cool? Uncovering the predators among us