If your youngest is the funniest sibling, you’re not alone
Is your youngest child always the one that makes you laugh or sends her siblings into a fit of giggles? Research may have just proved you right—a new survey of siblings and family members revealed that the funniest siblings are typically the youngest ones.
According to a survey conducted by British pollster YouGov, youngest siblings are most likely to believe that they are the funniest members of their families. Forty-six percent of younger siblings answered that they think they are the funniest versus just 36 percent of oldest siblings.
The study, which included 1,783 adult siblings who were asked to assess their personality traits based on their birth order, revealed some interesting insight into how birth order can impact a person as they become an adult.
“Splitting out the first and last born siblings in British families with more than one child (86% of the population), a clear divide in personality traits emerges,” a YouGov writer said about the findings. “The most significant difference is in feeling the burden of responsibility – most (54%) first borns say they are more responsible than their siblings, compared to 31% of last borns.”
YouGov continued, “To some extent age itself, rather than family dynamics, may be responsible for the differing characteristics. Older children, having had more time to get on in life, are more likely to say they are more successful than their siblings. But undoubtedly there are family forces at work – parental attention soon shifts onto new arrivals, and firstborns may have to learn the ropes themselves. As evidence, elder siblings are more likely to feel more organized and able to prioritize their own lives. Likewise, younger siblings are more likely to feel more favored by their parents.”
A few other things the survey uncovered include:
- 54 percent of oldest siblings feel more organized than their younger brothers and sisters.
- 47 percent of youngest siblings see themselves as “easy-going,” compared to 42 percent of older siblings.
