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[quote=Anonymous]Do you consistently have issues with people from the same birth order group? I find I often have issues with people who are the youngest siblings from a large family (at least 4+ siblings usually, I don't have this experience with people who just have one or two older siblings). I realized it recently after getting kind of fed up with selfish behavior from a friend and someone else said "well, she can't help it, I think -- she's the baby and is used to being accommodated." The person in question is in their 30s so this really irritated me.

I've known several people who were "the baby" over the last 20 years or so who really annoyed me. Very similar personality traits. Selfish, but in a cheerful, oblivious way that makes it easier to deal with initially but then much, much more annoying over time. Sensitive but only going one direction (so very sensitive to criticism but then will say the rudest things about others and be shocked if someone is offended).

I also find that these folks are often surrounded by enablers who will cut them slack for immature or hurtful behavior no matter what (like the person I mentioned above who defended a 32-yr-old woman for being incredibly selfish because "she can't help it"  :roll: ). It seems like these folks are allowed to stay children, and thus unaccountable, for much later into life than the average person.

I've resolved to be more cautious about people like this and pay attention when these traits come up. I feel like I've been burned a few times and just need to learn to steer clear of these behaviors, and hearing "Oh, I'm the baby in my family!" is not a massive red flag for me.

Anyone else have experiences like this? I've thought it through and can't think of any similar issues I've had with other birth order groupings. But maybe there is something about my own experience that makes these babies more irritating to me? FWIW, I'm the middle child of three, but I get along very well with both my older sister and younger brother (who is not "the baby" and has never been referred to that way). [/quote]

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