Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Is Your Workplace Personality Out of (Birth) Order?"- Ben Dattner (pgs.332-335)

     In Ben Dattner's, "Is Your Workplace Personality Out of (Birth) Order?", the author talks about the effects that birth has with one's personality and achievements, according to the order you were born. Dattner bases his theory upon the academic researches that have shown accurate predictions about a person's personality based on the birth order. In other words, based on if you are a first, second, middle, or only child born. For example, he says that first born children are bound to be more confident, conservative, academically inclined, more dominant, and that they don't functional well in sudden changes, and that they listen to their parents. Second born children are more flexible, open to new things, rebellious, and more comfortable with risk taking. He also says that there are exceptions to this theory. These characters can be wrong based on gender, temper, physical characters, financial status, family size, and the degree that the child and siblings had on rivalry. According to a 1996 book, Born to Rebel, MIT Professor Frank Sulloway believes that "Child rivalry is the strongest type of competition"; this means that because of the competition between siblings, they will find themselves trying to be more successful than the other.
     When I first began to read this short theory of Dattner's, I did not agree to his theory because I am a first born child and I do not acquire many of the traits he described under the first born children. But then, when I read the end that said that their were exceptions I then thought of other children and it is true. But as for me, none of these characteristics fit under my personality. For example, I was the first one to rebel of the siblings. Even though they weren't my parents, it's like if they were. I started running away from home at age fifteen, until I turned eighteen and, thanks to the California laws, they had to let me go. I am also a very risky person. For example, I want to one day jump off a plane with a parachute, I like bunjee jumping, and I like had emotions. I also adapt quick to different changes. I guess I'm one of the special cases the author talks about. Maybe because of my family situation, I tend to be a little different. This reading was pretty interesting to analyze different types of personalities in children.

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