How Being The Oldest Child Affects Your Personality According To Science

Most of us, from time to time, will look at our siblings and wonder how such vastly different people were created and raised by the very same parents. Well, it turns out that the disparity between your personalities could have quite a lot to do with the order in which you were born.

If you are the oldest child, you were essentially a guinea pig for your mom and dad—two people who very much had to “learn on the job” when you came into their lives.

Your childhood and teenage years were trial and error for them, as they played with you, doted on you, and encouraged you to pursue your talents and interests, while also setting strict rules and boundaries. You had to blaze the trail for your younger siblings, who probably reaped the benefits of your parent’s substantially more laid back attitude during their formative years. The first time you went traveling without your parents they were frantic with worry, but they barely batted an eyelid by the time your younger brother or sister embarked on their first solo trip.

The kind of nurturing you received as a child—a mix of focused attention and rigid rules—gave you a very specific set of characteristics. Oldest kids tend to be ambitious high-achievers who are reliable, structured, conscientious, cautious, and sometimes controlling. Younger siblings see them almost as a third parent, because the first-born is generally sensible and happy to play by the rules.

Of all the siblings you are most likely to succeed in your career—more than half of all U.S. presidents and Nobel Prize winners were the oldest child in their family. You excel in academia and will prosper in a job that requires a good education, like medicine or law. Your fellow high-achieving first-borns include Bill Gates, J.K. Rowling, Hillary Clinton, and Winston Churchill.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.