Adler's Theory Of Birth Order

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Alfred Adler said, a birth order is “a chronological sequence of the birth of children in a family” and has an influence on a person's lifestyle or adulthood. Adler declared most human problems were related to the relationships within the family, our most influential social system. Birth order is the “interpretation of one’s position in the family contributing to how adults interact in the world” (Corey, 2013). Adlerians are determined to understand the unique beliefs and strategies of one's lifestyle that each individual creates in childhood. The lifestyle serve as the individual's reference for attitudes, behaviors, and one's private view of self, others, and the world. According to the birth order theory, chronological birth order plays …show more content…
This child may become “convinced of the unfairness of life and feel cheated” (Corey, 2013). Middle children often cannot find their place in the social order and feel forgotten or overlooked since the attention is toward elder or younger siblings. Middle children can feel inferior to elder siblings, which can drive him or her to involve themselves in different interest to stand out in the family dynamic. Middle children are in a “competitive struggle of surpassing their elder brother or sister, which influences the later course of their lives” (Leman, 1998). In result, the middle child might misbehave to draw attention to themselves. The personality traits of a middle child will be opposite of the eldest and youngest sibling and will include being sympathetic, cooperative, negotiable, and …show more content…
A person's’ childhood can define how he or she will interact, interpret, and navigate the world. Furthermore, people seek to duplicate their sibling relationships in marriage, i.e, an elder sibling marrying a younger sibling since he or she had to care for their brother or sister in their childhood. In regard to sibling rivalry, parents should never compare the siblings because, the parent should establish that each child will be different in their own unique and special