BOR essay B)

Renzo Pulido

8/26/14

Period 2

Defined by Order of Birth?

According to recent research on birth order, there seems to be a correlation between the order of a persons birth and certain personality traits. Those traits specifically apply to people who fall into a certain birth order category such as, oldest, middle, youngest, or only child. Personally I am an only child (sheds a single tear), and some of the traits being cold blooded and self-centered, however just because the research says it's generally true doesn't mean that it applies to all. Regardless of that, its not completely wrong either.

For example research states that on average, only children tend to procrastinate in order to relieve the burden of perfectionism. I know that i certainly have to potential to be a perfectionist, alas i am also very easily aggravated by stress. So in some rather futile attempts to relieve that stress, i procrastinate. I will quite literally put off going to my dads house because i don't really want to go at the moment. But as for school, this is a perfect example, i started on my rough draft in the middle of AP World (today)  right after i finished a test. Another thing that’s true despite the fact that its quite opposite to procrastination is being conscientious. Although i do think of procrastination fondly, i also love to do a good job on whatever i can with the limited amount of time i give to myself as a result of my procrastination. For instance, right now i could be completely illiterate and try to get this out in ten minutes, but i'm better than that. Instead, i will give myself twenty to create this english marvel.

The research also attributed mental traits that are typical of only children, for example one that really hit home for me was being critical of oneself and of others. I can't think of a time where i wasn't really critical of something that i had done, either it being a choice of mine or of some work that i had done. I feel that the reason is because i had never grown up with anyone closely, i began to compare myself to people that others looked up to for their academic excellence or their outstanding talents.i grew up thinking that i could do so much better than what i am currently doing and that really does stay true to me to this day. Additionally, the research also states that only children are also objective. When confronted with anything that is even minorly cumbersome i take myself out of the situation and try to think of what the best option is for all involved, regardless of how i feel about the situation. For example, my friends had gotten into this huge fight thing and it was getting real damn emotional so i tried my best to take what i felt out of the question so that i could see what to do logically. So as you can see several things about the research can be true about a person BUT there were a few things that just didn't apply.

Despite the fact that much of the research was accurate in some aspects does not mean that it is completely right. For example the research states that only children are self centered. This is something that is the what hope is completely wrong. Its quite the opposite actually, i am actually centered around people. I love being around people and i love to learn about people and get to know them. Its for this reason that i don't like to hold grudges, i like to know how other people are doing and to know how they're feeling. Another thing that researchers got wrong was the mentioning that only children are cold blooded. This is mostly untrue for me because i feel, so much. To top that off as well i am extremely empathetic, of course i have my own emotions but my emotions can be so easily influenced by whatever someone significant to me is feeling. Thats the reason that so many people think that i have mood swings, it may not be that but i seem to have just as much control over my emotions as someone with mood swings. But to give the gist, i feel.

For the most part, the researchers seemed to know what they were talking about, they were right about the majority of things that they said besides a few of the negatively connoted information. What i found odd about this research was the thought that so much of what has to do with who you are as a person actually has something to do with your biology. Its almost difficult to comprehend how me being an only child is in part a reason for why i am the person that i am today.