Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Double Birth Order of Robin Williams




                                           
 
Few comedians or actors have had the impact that Robin Williams has had in his lifetime.  His acting roles have been both comedic and serious.  His humor was “off the wall” at times that only Robin could control. It was often manic and so fast that few could keep up with him. Now at age 63 he is gone.  His life has been somewhat an open book, he kept little private.  His drug and alcohol use was common knowledge. Understanding his Double birth order will give you a better insight into his personality.

 Early Years
Robin was born in Chicago July 21, 1951 to Laura McLaurin 
and Robert Williams. They moved to Bloomfield Hills 
Michigan where his father was an executive for Ford Motor 
Company. When he was 10 years old he met his two older 
brothers Todd Williams 13 yrs. older and McLaurin Smith 
4 yrs. older.  Todd was from his father’s first marriage and 
McLaurin Smith was from his mother’s first marriage. He was 
adopted by his mother’s family. Up until that time he had
no idea he had older siblings. None of the brothers lived
together but they did meet a family functions. Soon after 
that first meeting the family moved to California and 
Robin blossomed from a shy child to an outgoing high 
school student.

The Three/Only Birth Order
With the age difference between his brothers and himself Robin
now knew he was the third born but was being treated like an
Only child in his household. People who have #3 birth orders 
are very sensitive to others and the outside world. 
The phrase "Laughing on the outside crying on the
inside" is who they are. 
They can appear very shy and introspective but are really 
seeing and hearing life all around themselves.  They make 
very good actors and can be both religious and environmentally 
conscious. This sensitivity makes them vulnerable to addictions 
especially drugs and alcohol. When you add the Only 
characteristics to the #3 birth order you create an individual 
with very real conflicts.  There are two people talking to 
him. The Only child reminding him to behave and the #3 
enticing him to “give it a try”. It is the power of the Only
birth order added to the #3 birth order that gave Robin the 
power to project his brand and be successful.

Drugs and Alcohol
Throughout his life he has battled depression and substance
abuse. His three marriages and three children often found
themselves a part of his problems.  In the 70’s and 80’s it
was cocaine.  In August of 2006 he checked himself into a
substance-abuse center. He has been fighting depression
most of his adult life. In July of 2014 he entered rehab for the
second time but said it was to “fine tune his focus”. When
interviewed on Good Morning America he discussed his
addiction problem.  “It’s a little voice inside of you that says
“just one” when you can’t take just one.”  This is the
effect of his two birth orders.  The Only side says he can 
handle it, the #3 side says, “I want more.”

The High for the Three/Only
People with the Three/Only birth order want to be noticed.  
 Being on stage is a high for them and it might take the place 
of drugs and alcohol.  Maybe this is the reason Robin’s 
preforming career was so non-stop.  He shared all the 
problems in his life on stage. Was it therapy, a cry for help, 
or just another way to connect with his audience? He 
appeared shy and non-confrontational to his friends and the 
public, trying to balance his two very dissimilar birth orders 
any way he could. A tragic loss there can be no doubt.



Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst is the author of:
Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects 
Your Path Throughout Life
You can find out more information on Birth Orders in his 
book or at his website www.mybirthorder.com

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