Siblings.
Love them or hate them, you can’t change the fact that you’re related to them. (Sorry.)
You also can’t change the fact that they have a huge influence on the person that you are today. (Again, sorry.)
Forget the nature/nurture debate for now, because we’re focussing on how your siblings actually affect the person that you grow up to become.
Here are four ways that your siblings have sculpted you in to the being you are today, and will be in the future.
1. Your competitiveness can determine your success.
If you have a sibling who's the same gender as you, competition between you will probably be higher. But if you're a sister-brother combo then competition may be less.
"A recent study reported that having an older sister was linked to lower male preference to be competitive. As such, growing up with a same-sex sibling may increase competition and opportunities for success," Dr Jonathan Caspi wrote on 99u.
2. They can determine your income.
This one has a lot to do with how close you are to your siblings. Research has shown that when you're close to your sibling you are a positive person in their life. You provide them with love and support. Ultimately, you provide a platform to let the other be successful.
Research suggests that happy people are more likely to gain economic success. And people who are close to their siblings are associated with increased life satisfaction - which has a high chance of turning into economic success.
So a good sibling relationship could mean a wealthy adulthood.
3. Their personality traits can change yours.
Dr Jonathan Caspi wrote on 99u that, "siblings are as different from each other on personality and psychological adjustment (e.g. anxiety, depression) tests as complete strangers."
Even though we share genetics and grow up with our siblings, we are extremely different to them. Dr Caspi uses the example that if one sibling excels at sports, the other is more likely to excel in academics. It is the idea that growing up together creates difference. You find your place. You can both be successful but in different areas.
4. Birth order does affect what type of adult you are.
Sibling strategies are heavily influenced by what order you're born in. Evidence suggests that siblings do certain things to increase their parents investment in them but do it without being outwardly competitive.
Firstborns are more often rule-abiding and will usually be more focussed on academics - especially girls that are the eldest. Whereas younger siblings are generally more risk taking than their elder siblings.
Siblings will (usually) find their own area of expertise so they can have individual attention from their parents without fighting for it.
Do you agree with these? Are there any you would add?
The number of siblings you have can also determine how likely you are to cheat so SCROLL THROUGH the gallery for celebrities who have allegedly cheated and how many siblings they have...
