"Stuck in the middle with you..."

Just read a story that says middle children "are more likely than their siblings to be successful and enjoy strong social loves and flourishing careers." It says the apparent disadvantages they endure in childhood turn out to be beneficial, in many cases giving them attributes of empathy, independence, articulacy and creativity.

I am a middle child. Ah hemmmmm...

Of all the U.S. Presidents, over 50 per cent were middle children, including Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. "Another aspect of middle children's personalities is an eagerness to please, born out of their efforts in childhood to gain attention, which can mean they are too easily influenced by friends. Especially when siblings are five or less years apart, as they vie for parental attention. Yet the sense of indifference from parents and isolation that middles feel as children can actually serve them well in later life. The trials they go through, such as having to speak up to ensure they are not ignored, are good preparation for adulthood."

Research also found that middles tend to have high degrees of patience, perhaps because they spend so much time in childhood waiting for their turn. They also learn the art of compromise as they interact with those older and younger than them. And they have a high degree of empathy, loyalty and ability to see other people's point of view. Consequently, they are more successful in relationships.

One study found that 80 per cent of middles remain faithful to their partners, are more open-minded about sex and non-judgmental about other's behaviors. They are less attached to family hierarchies probably because they may not have such warm memories of family life. Middles attach more weight to friendships and their peer's opinions than their elders. They tend to be less close to their parents, and are more likely to move away from the neighborhood where they grew up. They are determined to confront injustice as they lay great emphasis on fairness and are very independent. They often have a freedom of spirit, and a desire to break with conformity and can be very successful in the creative arts.

Middles include Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Julia Roberts, Richard Burton and Ernest Hemingway.

These birth order studies are amazingly accurate...

P.S. Jan was always my favorite on the Brady Bunch