How Birth Order Can Shape Your Personality You must have heard from someone that the oldest kid in a family tends to be very responsible, while children who have no siblings are far more likely to be selfish and demanding. Are these merely stereotypes, or is it really true that our birth order can shape our personality? Today we at EaseYourLife have decided to find the answer to this intriguing question. The birth order theory began in the late 1920s with Alfred Adler, Sigmund Freud's friend and colleague. Adler believed that the order in which you are born into a family inherently affects your personality. The first-born (oldest) child. According to Adler, the oldest child tends to be conservative, power-oriented, and predisposed toward leadership. Because they often take responsibility for their younger siblings, firstborns grow up to be caring, more willing to become parents, and more likely to take initiative. The second (middle) child. Since the older bro...