The Funniest Sibling In The Family, According To Research
Are you the funny family member?
SeventyFour | Canva Anyone who has a sibling knows that sibling rivalry exists. It may not be at the forefront of the relationship, but there is always, and I mean always, some sort of competition between siblings, even if it's never addressed or discussed.
But because some scientists decided that there wasn't quite enough sibling rivalry in the world, they did a study, documented the conclusions, and then shared them with the world to see. I've already texted my sister calling foul on this whole thing.
The 2015 study out of the UK looked into the personality traits and characters of the first born and last born of families, because, as everyone knows, there is a clear difference in how people act, react, live their lives, and all the rest of it, depending on their birth order. One study from 2015 states that older siblings are more intelligent, but we're not here to talk about them.
Some of the highlights from the study are things over which I would gladly quibble with any of these scientists any day, but considering my sister and I decided long ago that our personalities are out of whack based on our birth order, I'm willing to let it roll off my back. So without further ado:
The funniest family member is the youngest sibling, according to research.
Askar Abayev / Pexels
Forty-six percent of youngest children think they're the funny ones in the family, compared to only 36 percent of eldest kids who think they're the barrel of laughs.
The younger ones, at 17 percent, think they're the favorite kiddo, while only 10 percent of the eldest feel that way. When it comes to responsibility, success, organization, and self-confidence, it's the oldest children who think they have those personality traits in the bag.
But while those grown-up qualities fall on the eldest, the youngest gets to bask in the glory of being more easy-going and relaxed. As the oldest child in my family, I roll my eyes at you youngest one! It must be so nice to be so funny, so relaxed, and so easy-going!
But where the biggest difference in percentages lies is in the responsibility category. While 54 percent of the oldest kids think they’re the responsible ones, only 31 percent of the youngest children think they are.
Julia M Cameron / Pexels
The researchers behind the study think the funny traits of the youngest siblings may be attributed to both age and birth order.
"Undoubtedly there are family forces at work — parental attention soon shifts onto new arrivals, and firstborns may have to learn the ropes themselves," researchers said.
Great, so the oldest siblings become mommy's little helper and are therefore forced into a life of responsibility, while the little one gets a lifetime of excuses as to why they can't pay their rent?! Okay, so maybe there are some jealousy issues there. I'm working on it.
But sibling rivalry aside, the point is that each child is different in their way because of their birth order. Even if you don't adhere to the conventional standards as to what your personality traits should be based on whether you're first born, second born, or last born, you're still unique from your siblings, and that's what makes you love each other so much.
Amanda Chatel is an essayist, lifestyle, and intimacy health writer with a focus on relationships, women's reproductive rights, and mental health. Her bylines have appeared in Harper's Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post, and others.