Oldest? Youngest? Middle? Here’s What Your Birth Order Says About You

Middle children “are far less likely than their siblings to be in therapy, get divorced or be neurotic,” say the authors of The Secret Power of Middle Children. Peacekeeping and empathetic, you are probably a great team player. But hey, Miss Independent: You can be a leader, too.

Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, Madonna and Martin Luther King Jr.? All middle children. Patient, social and open to compromise, you are likely an excellent negotiator (see also that thing about being less likely to get divorced). On the flip side, there’s also a whole “syndrome” devoted to your overlooked place in the pecking order. Middles have a hard time saying no and “have lower self-esteem than other birth orders because of their lack of uniqueness and attention at home,” writes expert Katrin Schumann. They’re also more likely to be arrested (!) than their siblings. And on a related note, moms of middles, gird your loins: “Middleborns are less likely to turn to their parents for help in an emergency.”

You’re likelier to take risks and be open to new experiences. Hence your rep as a rebel. You’re also more relaxed and easygoing than your siblings (and with less discipline but lots of parental attention, why wouldn’t you be?) and more likely to seek out an artistic occupation””or work in sales.

In short, you’re the life of the party. But “babies” of the family are often treated as helpless out of habit””and frequently for far too long. As a result, youngest sibs are found to be the most financially irresponsible. On the upside, you may be just as funny as you think you are. Want indisputable evidence? Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Eddie Murphy and Stephen Colbert are all the youngest kids in their families.