They say that children without siblings are supposed to be clever, talented or gifted in some way, so I was just wondering how many sciforum members are only children?
I really don't think it has to do with being an only child. Parenting is what it's about. My mom is an insane, sheltering parent. She sent me and my brothers to music lessons, language lessons, sports, etc... And well, one of us is at MIT, the other at UVA, and I'm midway through highschool teaching myself to program. So, being an only child, you would more likely recieve heightened levels of attention and care. Thus, you would more likely become a more successful/talented individual.
I think only children have less social intercourse and less feedback and hence a lot more time on their own to think about things. Of course, they must end up with unique insights that maybe children with siblings don't, because their brains are never still for long enough. I do agree that good parenting and genes account for a lot though.
I haven't heard this! This makes sense though! I have heard the saying "an only child is a lonely child", and I think it's true to a degree, when the child is younger, but not when they get older. Less socialization must be inevitable, but again this will change with age. I am an only child, but I don't really consider myself to be special in anyway.
I'm an only child and I did suffer from long periods of loneliness when I was younger, esp my teenage years. I remember it was always I that had to make the first move in any new friend relationship. I'm not exactly sure why that was so, but maybe I had some only child type of aura that other kids couldn't attract to. I did try though, even if I had been a bit shy. I was always the first to befriend new pupils joining our school as well and I think I could do this because as someone who changed 7 schools in 7 years, I could empathise with their lonely and insecure plights. As I grew up, I learnt to be very discerning about the type of people I made friendships with, as it had become entirely up to me anyway, but the ironic thing, is that in my adult life, it was always others that made the first move towards me (they obviously must have got a kick off my older more mature aura). None of them were conventional types, in fact all of my (just) 6 male friends that I made in the last 30 years have been eccentric or unique in some way. For the last 10 years living in Cyprus, I've had no 'buddy' type friend at all apart from my wife, but she's always been my best friend anyway. And I never feel lonely. The only other only child I know is retarded. But (without going into boastful detail), I would certainly pass the 'talented, gifted, clever test'.
All the single childern i know are greedy and whiny kids. Their parents lavish them seeing as how they are the only offspring.
I had a sister that died when I was two. She only lived for a month. Recently I also found out that I have a living sister that nobody had known about. So I'm not an only child anymore, but I was growing up as one. I had a horrible upbringing in many ways, but nevertheless I do fall into many of the less flattering descriptions of the only child. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I think both of those traits are actually good to have in today's modern world. Assuming that most greedy and whiny people would be more aggressive rather than passive, they would probably have the ambition necessary to succeed in today's economy.
Actually I do know another single child. She's not so much greedy and whiny, but more selfish and controlling. But she is artistic, unconventional and is a dancer.
Originally posted by tablariddim ---------- They say that children without siblings are supposed to be clever, talented or gifted in some way, so I was just wondering how many sciforum members are only children? ---------- (I am. What's the total now?)
that can't be right i know some very tallented special people that have multiple siblings and some very average children that are alone it really is the attention parents give and the enviorment the children grow up in.
