It’s called Intelligence Quotient.
What is it with eldest children?
Here’s a study that was published under the headline: “Study says Eldest Children have Higher I.Q.s” (The difference in I.Q. between siblings was a result of family dynamics, not biological factors.)
Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Claudia, you’re just jealous.”
Read the article - Eldest children have higher I.Q.s by three points. Three points! Three points is nothing, nada, nunka, nothing. The I.Q. test itself is not accurate to three points.
And even then, let’s review. My oldest sister had:
- a complete free ride. While I started working at eleven years old, she just went to school until she was sixteen when she wanted to buy different clothing. Her free ride included complete tuition, books, etc to college and medical school.
- everything she owned was not only new, but exactly what she wanted. She had the books she wanted. She never wore a hand me down. She had new bikes, the car of her choice, every single thing she wanted. Period. The rest of us just lived with her choices.
- parents who talked to her. Unless my parents were angry (read: drunk or dealing with a drunk) with me, they never spoke to me. Never.
If all she got was three I.Q. points from having all the resources in the household handed to her, I’m wondering what exactly is wrong with her. I mean really, wouldn’t you think it would be more than that??
Now, before you continue with your theory that I’m jealous, the truth is that I was lucky to never have to speak to my parents, to start working at eleven and to have her hand me downs.
Why? Because I got to make a life for myself rather than attempt to live the life that was handed to me. I might be missing the three extra I.Q. points, but really, how much is freedom worth?
So she got all the resources, including the three extra I.Q. points, and I’m the lucky one.
Go figure.
Filed under: Going out on a limb, The nerdiverse
I think if I had an older sister that was handed everything, I’d be a bit jealous myself! As a first-born child, though, I’d like to say that I rarely had anything handed to me….in fact, I always seemed to get the hand me downs from older cousins and from my parents (I got the 20+ year old family TV when I went away to college while my younger brother got all new stuff). And, I had to pay my way through college and med school (while my parents paid for a good chunk of my brother’s education). And I wholeheartedly agree…making your own life is the way to go.
La Cubana Gringa - I guess you deserve the three extra IQ points. I’ll allow it!
I saw that “finding” in the news, and I don’t agree. My older brother got everything, too, including a car at 16 and an Ivy League college and law school education. Our parents didn’t do the same for me because I “would only get married anyway.” When he got married, they bought him and his wife their first house and a new car for her.
I have had a far less successful life by most standards, but I suspect that whatever our respective given IQ’s may have been, I have exercised my brain more than he has in order to survive and raise three children alone.
And my life has probably been more interesting because of the challenges I have had to face which he did not.
It’s worth a hell of a lot more than 3 lousy points.
a character worth anything stems from emotional I.Q. - and that obviously counts for more. So, you’re right. You’re the lucky one.
Heart in SF - Well, that’s true. They didn’t test IQ over time. It sounds like you’re much happier than he is - and that’s worth a hell of a lot more than 3 IQ points.
Kevin - Weeellll…. I am a character. That’s for sure!
[...] I rolled up the window thinking: “I am missing those three IQ points.” [...]