Monday, January 21, 2013

Ann Landers and Dear Abby: Twins with Double Birth Orders

Esther Lederer - Ann Landers

                                      
Pauline Phillips - Abigail Van Buren

This is the life of two twin sisters who both pursued the same 
path, that of advice columnists.   Although twins there were 
differences.  With every set of twins,  one assumes the higher 
birth order.  In their case it was Esther, known as Eppie, that 
was 17 minutes older.

Family Birth Order Diagram
This is the family diagram and their birth orders.

Helen                                           1911             #1
Dorothy                                       1913             #2

            5 year space

Esther (Eppie) Pauline              1918          #3/1
           17 minutes
Pauline (Popo) Esther              1918          #3/2


Third Borns
Both girls were the third birth so they share Third born
characteristics.  These include the ability to understand
people and size up situations involving people with almost
a psychic ability.  They tend to be intuitive and care most about
the human condition, but can also be artistic and theatrical.
Emotionally they show a happy face to the world but can cover
up their more sensitive side privately.

First Borns
Esther (Ann Landers) carries the first born characteristics with
her third born birth order. The firstborn wants to keep the
throne and will try to be the first and best in everything they
do.  They like to wield power over others and at times can be
caustic in their attempt to get their point across. Failure is not
an option so life can be difficult trying to please others and be
perfect. They feel they have the “right” answers.

Second Borns
Pauline (Dear Abby) carries the Second born characteristics with
her Third born birth order.  The Second born does not like to be
told what to do.  They are not as driven as the Firstborn but know
their weak spots and love to point out to them they are not
perfect. They are more light hearted and social as they don’t take
things as personally.


Sibling Disaffection
With the twins having Double birth orders they switch between
the same birth order #3, and their other birth orders a #1 and #2.
When they are both acting like 3’s they are full of love for each
other. When they are acting like #1’s and #2’s they are rival siblings. 
Sibling rivalry is usually strongest between the first and second
children.  In their case they were the first and second children in
the second family. The five year gap between the twins and their
older siblings created the Double birth order.  During their early
life they were inseparable, both primarily showing the number
3 birth order characteristics. They wrote an advice column in
college and even had a double wedding ceremony.

Their Marriages
Esther dumped her fiancé and two weeks later married the
 millinery salesman who she met while shopping for her veil.
Her marriage to Jules Lederer founder of Budget Rent -A -Car
lasted 36 years but ended in divorce. He admitted having an
affair. Pauline told Esther it was her fault which didn’t help
the sister relationship. This would have been typical for a
number Two to aggravate the older sibling.

Pauline married Morton Phillips heir to the family liquor
business. Esther felt betrayed when Pauline created her own
advice column just  months  after she continued the Ann
Landers column.  They would fuel the competitive drive
the rest of their lives.
  
Their Different Styles
Pauline’s column answers  were more friendly then Esther’s,
who was more abrupt. She resented Pauline’s financial
success although both sisters were very successful. Pauline
seemed to have a more personal attachment to her readers.

Twins with Double Birth Orders
Here was an interesting example of Twins that ended up with
double birth orders.  The combination of birth orders, a
double birth order, creates a more complicated person.  These
two women though alike in many ways, exemplify the extreme
differences birth orders can create.

Let me hear from you if you have any twins in your family?

For more information about Double Birth Orders my book,
Lifes Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout
Life;  offers a detailed examination of the dynamics of birth order,
available as hard copy or e-book.  For more information, plus
videos and blogs, visit my web site  www.mybirthorder.com  
by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Double Birth Order of Senator Harry Reid




The Double Birth Order of Senator Harry Reid

Senator Harry Reid is the Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate and its Speaker. As a Democrat from
Nevada, he is the first to hold such a powerful position. As Speaker he has been center stage in the news for
the past four years in a divided Congress. No legislation can be delivered to the President unless both Houses of Congress pass it. Harry has been the obstacle for the bills that came from the Republican majority in the House.  Is he faithfully doing the Presidents business or does he truly believe in the liberal agenda for which he stands?  Why is Harry such a thorn in the side of Speaker Boehner? Understanding his birth order will unmask the true Harry Reid and give us the answer.

Harry has a 3/1 Double Birth Order
Harry was the third of four boys.  His mother came into
the marriage with two boys, their father was Aldro
Toleman Garner from Utah. The family diagram
 will show you how he got his Double birth order.

Don  Reid (Garner) ½ brother       1928    1
Dale  Reid (Garner) ½ brother      1930    2
                    9yrs
Harry  Reid (Named after father   1939   3/1
Larry   Reid                                    1940   4/2

Because of the 9 year gap between the brothers Harry
became the oldest in the second family. This gives him
characteristics of both a Firstborn and a Third born two
very different birth orders.

Balancing Two Birth Orders
For someone to understand their own single birth
order is hard enough but with two it can be very
confusing. All birth orders have both positive and
negative expressions that the person must understand.
When you have two birth orders it gives you four
different choices. The farther apart the birth order
numbers, the more conflicting the personality
characteristics.

Firstborns #1
Harry’s Firstborn birth order gives him the need to be
in charge. He will want to control the people around
him. The number One can be a no nonsence demanding
person even very physical in their use of power.  In
Harry’s case it can be the result of trying to hold on to the
number One position.  Harry had a younger brother Larry
and this may be where he may have used his pugilistic
talents. The other side of the number One is a person
that can also be very supportive and helpful. This is just
another way to control through kindness and self sacrifice.
Firstborns are the CEO’s of birth order, they feel they
have the right answers.

Third Borns #3
The Third birth order sees life very differently from the
Firstborn.  Many Third borns are not well grounded in
reality and can become dreamers. They see the
artistic side of things and see the bigger picture of
humanity in all its forms. They are very sensitive and
can come and go emotionally. They have a unique
ability to understand people intuitively. Harry can  
relate to poverty and the plight of the poor for that
was his start in life.  Religion is another interest of
many Third borns. Harry has said he started life without
religion but has found the Mormon Church to be very
important in his life. Third borns can be both soft
spoken or very loud and aggressive.  Both characteristics
is their way of hiding their sensitive nature. They will
do their best not to show they have been hurt by putting
up a hard shell as protection.

Searchlight Nevada- Harry’s Home town
Harry was born December 2, 1939 the third of four
boys. If there is such a thing as “dirt” poor that was
his the family. His father was a hard rock miner with just
an eighth grade education and his mother never finished
high school. He witnessed the abuse of his mother when
his father became drunk but after he turned 14 he was
big enough with the help of his younger brother Larry
to confront him. His father committed suicide at age
58 after a long bout of depression. The cabin he grew
up in had no indoor plumbing and his school had one
teacher for all eight grades. Prostitution was the leading
industry in the town and here is where his mother
worked as a washer woman to add to the family income.
Harry learned to swim at a whorehouse which had the only
swimming pool in town.  Every Thursday the manager
would let a dozen children at a time, swim in the pool.

High School Education
Harry had to leave Searchlight and go to Henderson
Nevada for his high school education. He would board
with families in town as would other children from towns
without high schools.  In high school be played baseball,
football and became an amateur boxer. He was trained
by Mike O’Callaghan, a teacher and Korean War hero
who lost a leg in the war. Later MIke would become
Governor of Nevada. He noticed that Harry had more
than a little chip on his shoulder and although he was
only 10 years older became a father figure to Harry.
This is also where he met his wife Landra Gould. They
married two years after high school but not before Harry
had a fist fight with her father as he was against the
marriage, the family was Jewish. They eloped and were
married in a Mormon Chapel.

His Career takes off like a Rocket
It was through the help of some local businessmen
that he attended college and law school. After law 
school he returned to Henderson and became city 
attorney.  Elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 
1968 at age 28, he became the youngest Lieutenant 
Governor in Nevada when he was 30 years old. He 
was working with the Governor who was his teacher 
and boxing coach in High school. It was the Governor 
that appointed him Chairman of the Nevada Gaming 
Commission in 1977, a very powerful position where 
he witnessed the power of money. He also saw how 
he could exercise the power of government over 
these same people.  He is credited with taking on the 
mob. He did this without ever going into a casino, 
taking a drink or getting killed. His only time out of 
public service were the two years he spent in
the practice of law. He was known as a consumer
advocate and the lawyer of last resort. He defended
people down on their luck with no money to pay him.
He was elected to the United States House of
Representatives in 1982. Then elected to the Senate
and that is where he is today. . He has said the
Mormon Church has been a very strong influence in his
life. (A three characteristic) As a Mormon he has achieved
the highest government position of any Mormon to ever
hold office.

Becoming Speaker
How does this soft spoken seemingly shy man get
100% of his colleges to elect him Speaker. (Third
born traits) It’s his Double birth order characteristics
that help him. He is known as intensely loyal and
trustworthy. He attends to his colleague’s needs.
(The supportive #1)He is always getting requests.
He is very unassuming but is assessing a person’s
vulnerabilities in order to have the upper hand. By
staying quiet he allows a person to express
themselves and he then figures them out, sometimes
just by observation. (The number Three skill)

Harry’s Personality Juggling Act
We can now see his actions as they relate to his
multiple birth orders. Sensitive and caring on one
hand (A 3) and ready to push through the agenda of the
President at any cost. (A 1) He says he was raised to
settle your differences physically, “I am fighting that
all the time.(A 1) I don’t want to be mean to people.”(A 3)
His personalities are his unique traits that give him the
upper hand in negotiations. He doesn’t ignore slights
he says, “I believe in vengeance” and payback has
been a factor in his career. (A 1)  He may have resented
those with money but he can use his political power
to “get even”.(A 1) At  times he loses control and that is
when he says things that seem so uncharacteristic
of a person in such a  responsible  position. (A 3) John
Boehner, his counterpart as Speaker of the House
of Representative is a number Two birth order. A
number Two birth order says, “don’t tell me what to
do”, and that is why they will never get along.

Tell me what you think. This should make for a
good discussion.

You can find out more information about Double Birth
orders at www.mybirthorder.com or buy my book:
Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your
Path Throughout Life. by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

Friday, January 4, 2013

Petraeus, Broadwell and the Tampa Twins: A Birth Order Analysis

                      General David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell


The year 2012 would not have been complete without a sex
scandal at the highest level of Government. General David 
Petraeus resigned from his post as the head of the CIA 
when it was revealed that he was having an affair with his 
biographer. This information was made public just after the 
election though many thought that this investigation which 
was started by the FBI in June was suppressed for political 
reasons.  A look at all the birth orders of all the players 
should give us a little more insight into their behavior.

Double Birth Orders
All the players in this affair have Double birth orders. This 
occurs when there is a space of four or more years 
between a sibling or a group of siblings. 
Here are examples of both types.

Ordinal #’s     Double/ Only        Mixed            Mixed
 Sibling   1        Sibling  1/0         Sibling  1/0     Sibling 1
 Sibling   2           4yr                      4yr             Sibling 2  
 Sibling   3        Sibling  2/0         Sibling  2/1        4yr
 Sibling   4            4yr                 Sibling  3/2     Sibling 3/1
                        Sibling  3/0         Sibling  4/3     Sibling 4/2

People with Double birth orders can show more complex
personalities than those with only single birth orders. When
coupled with the Only birth order they increase the intensity and
power of their own birth number and its characteristics. People
with double ordinal numbers are hard to pin down as they shift
between their two birth orders, one personality to another.

General David Petraeus 2/0
Born in Cornwall, N.Y. November 7, 1952 he has an older 
sister Carol, born in 1947. Since 5 years separate them he 
carries a two/only double birth order. People with this double 
birth order have an enormous amount of control over their 
own lives. As a number two they don’t seek the top position 
but like the low profile support role. Many times they are 
elevated to the top position but this is an uncomfortable spot. 
The two/only birth order has the ability to focus and solve 
problems. They have a high pain threshold which is one of 
their unique characteristics.  The secretive nature of the 
number two birth order is increased with the addition of the 
Only birth order.

In high school David was known as an excellent student but not
the valedictorian.  He played soccer but was not the captain of 
the team but a team player. At West Point he was at the top of 
his class and very active in sports even though he was smaller 
then most of his classmates.  He could push himself and did, 
getting both a masters and doctorate degrees in just a few 
short years. He prides himself on his fitness coming back 
quickly from a shattered pelvis and a bullet wound to the chest. 
He often challenges younger soldiers to push up contests.

This scandal would be devastating for a person with this birth
order. The need for secrecy in his private affairs has been lost.
To these people it is a window into their world that they would
prefer to remain closed.

Holly Knowlton Petraeus 4/3
His wife Holly, was the daughter of the Superintendent of West
Point, a four-star general. They married just after his 
graduation. She has a four/three double birth order. She has 
three older brothers, the first separated from the three 
younger siblings by four years.This gives all the younger 
siblings double birth orders without the addition of the Only 
characteristics.

This affair would come as a complete shock to a person with 
this double birth order combination.  The four is the baby in 
the family and feels others look out for them.  The three is the 
sensitive intuitive person that has great empathy for others.  
She would have a hard time understanding how she could be 
betrayed.

Paula Broadwell  3/0
Paula Broadwell, the mistress biographer, was born in 
Bismarck North Dakota in 1972. She was the third child 
with two older brothers.  She was 4 years younger than 
her second brother giving her the three/only double birth 
order. This is the birth order of the “drama” queen and a 
person who is not shy and has a big personality, they go 
after what they want.  In high school she was a basketball 
star, homecoming queen, and valedictorian. She was 
voted “most likely to be remembered” by her classmates.
She shares this birth order with both Shirley Temple and 
Suzanne Somers both strong women and very dramatic. 
The three/only is a person that wants it all. When Paula 
felt her relationship was threatened by Jill Kelley she is said 
to have sent threatening e-mails which exposed the affair.  
The power of the Only when added to the number three 
birth order makes for a very emotional person. David 
Petraeus had no first hand experience with this type of 
person as no one in his family had this birth order 
combination. Both Broadwell and Petraeus are West Point 
grads and each share the Only birth order, they had to feel 
the power each possessed. 

Jill Kelly  3/1
Born Jill Khawam is the oldest of twin girls. She has two older
siblings, her second, a brother, is 4 years older than the twins. 
The twins were the third birth so this starts the next group of 
children. Jill is the oldest she carries the One birth order along 
with her three. She had been a volunteer social liaison for the 
local military facility, the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida
This is how she became friends with the Petraeus family.  Her 
family immigrated from Lebanon, some think that her 
relationship with the military may not be what it appears. She 
shares the number three birth order with Paula but her second 
birth order that of a One is not nearly as strong as Paula’s Only.

Natalie Khawam 4/2
Natalie is Jill’s younger twin sister.  She too has a double birth 
order but it is quite different than her sister’s.  The four is the 
baby in the family but the two says don’t tell me what to do. 
All birth orders can have both positive and negative 
expressions. It appears Natalie has been demonstrating the 
negative. The Judge in her custody case said he could not 
believe anything she said. As an attorney herself she was
caught lying under oath. She lives with her sister Kelly and
participates in the parties.

Making Sense of it all
Scandals always have many twists and turns but from the view 
point of birth order we can start to make some connections. 
David Petraeus as the secretive two/only birth order has to be 
mortified that this extramarital affair was made public.  This will 
hurt him to his very core beliefs. His mistress, Paula Broadwell 
connected with him in both his love of the military and the 
power in both their double birth orders. We all make choices 
and sometime we don’t know why. The interesting finding is 
that all the women including his wife Holly have double birth 
orders making them more complex than single birth order 
people. More fascinating is that one of their double birth 
orders was always the same, the sensitive number three. 
Could this be the subliminal connection?

Send me a comment on what you think?

To find out more about Double Birth orders you can purchase 
my book: Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your 
Path Throughout Life by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst or visit our website  www.mybirthorder.com