Those of you
that have been following and using the concept of Double Birth order no doubt have found the Three/Only Double birth order as
one of the most difficult combinations to understand. As the Author of Life’s Fingerprint, I have uncovered the answer to this question. Why are people that have the Three/Only Double birth order so different from each other?
How Birth Order Works
The Birth order affect is the interaction with your siblings that determine who you are. The gender of all siblings has one of the greatest impacts on the variation of birth order personality traits. If you are the youngest girl with only older brothers, you will be very different from the youngest girl with only older sisters. The same would be true for a boy with similar sibling genders
Personality Traits of a Third Born
The third child in a family is usually more sensitive than his older brothers or sisters. He is a master at understanding relationships but keeps his feelings protected from others. He sees life differently. Nature, religion, music; the arts are all his interests. Appearing shy and sweet, he is laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside.
Adding the Only to the Three Birth Order
Each ordinal birth order number shares its own similar characteristics; the Only child does not. The Only child is an amalgamation of his parent’s birth orders. This is the reason why all Only’s are very different. When we add the Only birth order to the number Three you can see why the Three/Only is so different. This is a child where the parent’s play a significant role in molding this child’s personality traits while the older siblings are at school this child is nurtured at home. The parents, in effect, are playing the role of siblings. Double birth orders occur when four or more years separate siblings from each other. People with Double birth orders add the birth order of their parents into the mix. The greater the years between the second sibling and the Three/Only will determine how much of an influence the parent’s birth orders will have. With a ten-year difference, you would be 95% an only and 5% a Three. Adding the Only birth order to any ordinal number magnifies the traits, their power, and intensity. This is the concept of Double Birth Order, the Rosetta stone of understanding everyone. When we add this type of “Only” power to an ordinal number, we get an extraordinary individual.
Personality Traits of the Three/Only Double Birth Order
If the number Three birth order is shy, the Three/Only birth order is a social butterfly; they do not hide their feelings. They take all of the number Three personality traits and add power to them. They can be a crusader for the environment, organizers for demonstrations against the wrongs in society. They can also direct their power toward self-centered interests binging drama into their life and everyone around them. The Drama Queen or King is a label easily achieved.
Two Types of Family Structures Influence the Three Only
Ordinal spacing as a Family Structure
When the Three/Only child is born into a family with two older children less than 4 years apart this child is seen and treated very differently than the two older siblings. This child is sometimes referred to as the mistake, accident, late in life baby, or the family’s attempt for a child of a certain gender. The older siblings see them very differently since they are more powerful with the added Only birth order. They are sometimes thought to be getting more attention or more freedom as the parents are now older and less controlling. As the siblings get older, the Three/Only sibling may be the one that helps hold the family together when care is needed for aging parents or can drive the sibling wedge further apart. There are eight possible sibling combinations using gender as a variable.
Only spacing as a Family Structure
Today families can plan for the spacing of their children. If the family elects to space all their children four or more years apart the Three/Only comes into a family with older siblings with whom he may not interact. Just like the Three/Only’s in the ordinal family structure the gender of the older siblings is important but has a lesser affect because of the greater years between siblings. This family structure is like having three different families. There can also be eight possible additional sibling combinations using gender as a variable.
A few examples of these types of Three/Only’s from the two different family structures should help you understand this most complex Double Birth Order.
Families with first two siblings spaced less than 4 years apart.
Walter Liberace #3/0 Brother George #1 Sister Angelina #2
Michael Moore #3/0 Sister Anne #1 Sister Veronica #2
Suzanna Somers #3/0 Sister Maureen #1 Brother Dan #2
Meghan Merkle #3/0 Sister Samantha #1 Brother Thomas #2
Megyn Kelly #3/0 Sister Suzanne #1 Brother Peter #2
Michael Avenetti #3/0 Sister Francene #1 Brother Vincent #2
Note the similarity of the personalities of Suzanna Somers and Meghan Merkle
Families with all Double Birth Order Siblings spaced 4 or more years apart
Maria Bartiromo #3/0 Brother Patrick # 1/0 Sister Theresa #2/0
Penny Marshall #3/0 Brother Gary #1/0 Sister Ronell #2/0
Jamine Lynn Spears #3/0 Brother Bryan # 1/0 Sister Britney #2/0
Dr. Phillip McGraw #3/0 Sister Deana #1/0 Sister Donna #2/0
Shirley Temple Black #3/0 Brother Jack #1/0 Brother George Jr. #2/0
Note the similarity of personalities of Maria Bartiromo and Penny Marshall. You can also see that Dr. Phil and Shirley Temple were the only one of their gender in their families.
Final Thoughts
We found many factors at play in producing a Three/Only double birth order. The addition of the Only Birth Order adds multiple combinations of their parent’s birth orders into the mix. By looking more closely at the gender of the Three/ Only and the genders in the family we can now see their affect. We must also determine which of the two types of family structures that produced the Three/Only Double birth order. Was it Ordinal spaced or Only spaced? There are 16 possible gender combinations in these two family structures. All Three/Only’s are on a mission to save the world. The Three/Only in the ordinal family structure seems to use their talent for understanding people in a much more self-serving manner. They become the Drama King or Queen and take center stage. Those in a family of all Double birth orders seem to express their talent and power outward and are less self-centered. No matter what type of Three/Only you are, you will be noticed.
Said by a Three/Only " I wish my siblings would stop calling me "spoiled," just because I'm the youngest in the family. The truth is, my parents just kept having children until they found the one they liked. It's really not my fault."
For more information about Birth Order you will find it in my book Life's Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst or visit my websites at www.mybirthorder.com or www.lifesfingerprint.com
