"If there is any recognition of the soul, then it must be as a goal-directed unity, whose parts can only be understood if one has come to understand the whole.” Alexander Neuer makes a good point that if someone wishes to fully understand another they’ll succeed if they try to understand the whole individual and every aspect of their life. So, which factors should be considered when trying to appreciate and identify with someone else? Well, there are many factors of course. Some simple elements would be gender, age, ethnicity, race, social economic status, income, and the list can go on. However, when it comes to understanding people, the aspects of birth order have a lot to offer. This factor might not seem any more relevant but, one’s birth order can have a major influence on one’s own personality, communication patters, and social life, all of which can help in understanding the depth of someone’s “soul.”

Generally speaking, birth order is defined as the position of being either an only child, first born, second born, middle child, or last born in a family (Leman, 9). This may sound simple at first, but birth order has many different levels and can be very complex. On the

whole, birth order suggests that one’s birth position in a family can help explain certain areas of our personality. For example, there are certain characteristics that are linked to first born and only children. In short, they are usually characterized as being perfectionist, determined, dependable, motivated, over-achieving, loyal, self-reliant, and people pleasers (Leman 39). In fact, “of the first twenty-three astronauts sent into outer space, twenty-one were first borns or only children” (Leman 12). The oldest or only child in a family also tends to mature and grow up a little quicker than their younger siblings. First and only borns have more one on-one-adult interaction than other siblings and therefore their parents often have higher expectations for maturation. Additionally, first born children are often more responsible and reliable because they are often given situations that involve responsibility earlier in life. For instance they are the convenient baby-sitter mom and dad often put in charge of watching the younger children (Forer, 145-146). Unfortunately, first borns and only children are also more closely related to feelings of anger, irritation, stress, anxiety, hostility, stubbornness, and inadequacy (Forer 31-33). When it comes to communication, first born and only children do have a strong advantage. For example, they have an inclination to develop better verbal and communication skills earlier in life than later born children (Forer 35). Moreover, they also tend to seek and ask help more often from adults most likely because they expect themselves to be taken seriously and are confident in what they say (Ernst & Angst, 108, Leman 44). Take for instance, US presidents, “fifty-two percent of United States presidents were first borns [in their families] (Leman 12).

Last, but never least, are the last born and youngest children of a family. Whether the youngest of just two, or the youngest out of seven. The last born child is often referred to as the baby, and in retrospect is treated so. Some attributes affiliated with last borns are being persuasive, i

Some topics in this essay:
Ernst Angst, Alexander Neuer, middle borns, Birth Personality, born children, ernst angst, borns tend, middle born children, middle borns don’t, social life, one’s birth, leman 12, influence personality, family leman, personality example,