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Friday, June 22, 2007

Older and Wiser

posted by on June 22 at 6:31 AM

My older brother Billy—with his damn doctorate and everything—is going to be even more insufferable after he sees this morning’s New York Times.

Research Finds Firstborns Gain the Higher I.Q.

The eldest children in families tend to develop higher I.Q.’s than their siblings, researchers are reporting today, in a large study that could settle more than a half-century of scientific debate about the relationship between I.Q. and birth order.

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1

Let me introduce you to my older bro. He is a dumbshit of the highest order.

Posted by Mike in MO | June 22, 2007 7:44 AM
2

My older sister: 2 abortions by the age of 16, 3 years older than me, and I graduated High School a year before she did. I moved on to college, she stayed home and finally kept a baby. Now she's cycled through 3 guys within the last year 1/2. Smart gal.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 22, 2007 7:49 AM
3

Wow, that's pretty much the opposite of me and my half-brother - my dad's son from his first marriage, who's six years older. Although I guess that does throw another variable into the equation.

Posted by Verusik | June 22, 2007 8:21 AM
4

They obviously haven't met my older brother. Who funds these studies for Christ's sake.

Posted by Mr. Designer | June 22, 2007 8:21 AM
5

Thankfully, I am smarter than my younger brother.

Posted by Sachi | June 22, 2007 8:23 AM
6

My eldest brother had an extra helping of smarts, and way more than his share of artistic talent.

Unfortunately he also got the biggest share of the family madness and developed schizophrenia.

Posted by It's Mark Mitchell | June 22, 2007 8:30 AM
7

i am the oldest of 4.

in our youth, i was also the smartest & most artistic.

certainly i am the most conceited.

& the only one seeing a psychiatrist.

Posted by maxsolomon | June 22, 2007 9:16 AM
8

I am the eldest of 2 and proud to say I am far smarter than my sister. IN YOUR FACE CASSIE!!! IN YOUR FACE!!!!!

Posted by Just Me | June 22, 2007 9:48 AM
9

I'm the youngest of three, but all of us are smart... I'm the only one who went to a four year Uni, but my sisters did other comprable things. I'm not sure how I'd rank the three of us.

Though, I know Mom loves me best. ;)

Posted by Phelix | June 22, 2007 10:00 AM
10

My older brother showed me a study like this (i.e., lorded it over me) at least 10 years ago when he was in college. I was at least smart enough to point out that the difference in IQ was only something like 1 point, on average (this study says 3 points). We are probably equally smart, but I got all the social skills... so... take that, birth order.

Posted by Julie | June 22, 2007 10:09 AM
11

Hahahahahaha!!! I am the 'eldest' of five, leading the pack at age 50. I do NOT have the highest IQ among my siblings, all of whom, I love, deeply and madly and genuinely, admire. They are all far brighter, more sensible, and far more creative and all have huge salaries compared to my meager hourly wage. Me? I've done nothing really right in my life, save for those three beautiful kids of mine, who are, by far, the most interesting people on the planet. And, they love me. I am fortunate, that way.

Posted by Susan | June 22, 2007 10:31 AM
12

This reminds me of an old joke.

How does a wife make her husband smile and cry at the same time? Tell him his dick is bigger than his brother's.

Posted by Mike in MO | June 22, 2007 11:14 AM
13

Certainly applies to me and my siblings. I'm the only one who graduated from college. Hell, I'm the only one of the four of us to graduate from high school.

Bro #2 did eventually get a GED, and although he may not be as smart as me, as a fire-fighter & paramedic he probably does more good in an hour than I do in a year. But, then it just all goes downhill from there, sibling-wise.

Posted by COMTE | June 22, 2007 11:23 AM
14

I win! Ha, take that younger siblings!

Although I'm certainly more intellectual than my sister (who does well in school and is bright, but not really a scholar) and I get better grades than my brother (who likes philosophy and literature but prefers drinking to class), I'm not sure that means I'm actually smarter...I just feel more pressure to apply myself.

Posted by Abby | June 22, 2007 11:44 AM
15

Oh dear - my IQ is 142 so my brother's must be much higher.

Why then is he just drunken red neck trailer trash and I'm the Vice President?

Posted by pooper725 | June 22, 2007 11:44 AM
16

And yet you're the famous one Dan. Go figure.

Posted by j-lon | June 22, 2007 11:49 AM
17

So Dan, what does Billy think of the viaduct and other transportation alternatives in Seattle?

Posted by NapoleonXIV | June 22, 2007 11:58 AM
18

Don't forget: Not only am I smarter, I helped make Danny gay:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/06/so_it_wasnt_my_mothe

@17: Tear down the viaduct and make it a surface boulevard. Build the damn monorail.

@16
I am more famous in some saloons in Chicago than Danny is anywhere.

Posted by bill | June 22, 2007 12:29 PM
19

I may want a second opinion from Eddie, then.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | June 22, 2007 12:34 PM
20

The findings are being widely overplayed. The (still short) summary at Slate offers a clearer perspective.

http://www.slate.com/id/2168623/nav/fix/

Posted by lostboy | June 22, 2007 1:27 PM
21

But can he suck cock better than you?

Posted by Choker | June 22, 2007 1:55 PM
22

Here's my guess as to why:

Parents when they have their first child aren't as well versed in how to care for their children as they are when they have subsequent children, and have experience in doing so, thus possessing, on average, a better sense of how to raise kids and thus can provide more assistance to the younger kids.

The older kid, not having this assistance from knowledgeable parents, often experiences more as his/her parents fumble through the parenting process. This wider berth of experience and trial-error often leads to a more enlightened kid.

Add in having to watching your siblings grow up, often having to care for them as you get older, and that's even more knowledge and experience your siblings don't have.

So yeah, I can see older kids being smarter.

Posted by Gomez | June 22, 2007 2:20 PM
23

Gomez,
Sounds reasonable.
But then, I am the oldest, so I'm biased. :)

Posted by Jamey | June 22, 2007 9:29 PM
24

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25

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26

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