What is the TikTok ‘dating birth order theory’?

TikTok is home to various dating theories - you've perhaps heard of the invisible string theory and the orange peel theory - but the latest one to make the rounds all about your birth order,

The "dating birth order theory" reflects on how your position in your family impacts your personality and consequently your love life in terms of compatibility - whether you're an only child, the eldest son or daughter, the middle child or the baby of the family

In the theory, there are typical characteristics associated with each familial position, for example, the eldest siblings are perceived as responsible, sensible, and high achievers, while the middle children are seen as independent, easygoing, rebellious and peacemakers.

Then the youngest siblings are thought of as social, charming, outgoing, attention-seeking and self-centred and those who are the only child in their family are ambitious, less social, spoiled and independent.

This has been the topic of discussion among people on TikTok who have expressed what dynamics are incompatible with one another.

Some say that a relationship will ultimately fail between someone who comes from a family where they are the eldest sibling and the other person who is the youngest sibling from their family.

The reason given for this is because the eldest's actions towards the younger will be "parental" and sets a tone in terms of the relationship dynamic.

Although this theory has recently gone viral, it actually dates back all the way to the early 1900s.

Alfred Alder, an Austrian psychologist came up with the idea that you can have certain personality traits depending on your birth order within your family and these positions "may be correlated both positive and negative life outcomes," as per researchers.

However, Alder's original theory is over a century old and therefore you don't want to fall into the habit of judging someone solely based on these generalised characteristics when it comes to dating.

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