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

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

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

Can Birth Order be a Predictor of Presidential Elections?

We have just come through a very contentious Presidential

Campaign. For months the pundits and prognosticators and

pollsters were predicting the outcome. Of course, many got

it right and many got it wrong.  Many said no standing

President has won re-election with unemployment over 8%.

If they had used Birth Order as their guide they would have

picked the winner in the last seven Presidential Elections. Each

of these winners had the higher birth order than their opponent.

Communication

There is no doubt that in the last 28years communication of the

candidates ideas through television has been the major 

source of information to the general public.  Many would 

say it is the issues that help the public pick a candidate but 

I would say it’s the candidates ability to communicate with 

his audience. The higher birth order has that ability to make 

their points more believable.

Birth Order Power

There is a hierarchy in the pyramid of power with birth orders.

The oldest or Firstborn usually has the most power over the

younger siblings. The order is 1,2,3,4 and then it starts over

again with number 5 as a lower level number 1.

Double Birth Orders

Double birth orders occur when there are four of more years

separating a child from all others in the family.  This adds the

Only birth order to their ordinal number of birth and increases

their power.

One Only Double Birth Orders

The One/Only double birth order would be represented by a

firstborn that did not have another sibling for at least 4 years. 

This is President Obama as he is separated by five years from

his younger sister. All firstborns start life as Only children so

there is little confusion as to who they are when that have a

double birth order it just adds power and confidence.

Other Types of Double Birth Orders

When you add the Only birth order to a number 2, 3 or 4

birth order you can get the demonstration of two different

people. The reason is that adding the power of an Only

birth order allows the person to switch back and forth

between birth orders. This can be confusing to the public.

Frequently you may hear people say oh “he is much different

in private” and that is true as these people have two

personalities. It can be difficult for them to express a

consistent image and many may think they are not clear on

the issues. Governor Romney has a Four/Only birth order

which has the most extreme difference between the two

birth orders,  The Only child is self confident and appears the

adult while the four is the baby in the family looking to others

for advice.

Presidential Birth Order History

              Winner                         Loser

2012  Barack Obama     1/0   Mitt Romney 4/0

2008  Barack Obama     1/0   John McCain   2

2004  George  W. Bush 1/0   Al Gore 2/0

1996  Bill Clinton            1/0   Bob Dole 2

1992  Bill Clinton            1/0   George H W Bush 2

Elections with Candidates with the Same Birth Orders

This situation is where a few missteps or small events can 

swing the voters in either direction.

               Winner                           Loser

1988  George HW Bush   2    Michael Dukakis  2

                  53.4%                         45.7%

                   Both had older brothers

1964  John Kennedy      2       Richard Nixon     2

                 49.7%                           49.5%

      Both had older brothers that died in their 20’s

1860  Abraham Lincoln 2      Stephen Douglas  2

                 39.8%                            29.5%

          Both had older sisters. There were four candidates

          in this election. Slavery was the issue of the day.

Exceptions to the Birth Order Rule

Charisma can be the explanation for the exception to the birth

order rule. This characteristic is rarely seen in Presidential 

candidates but occasionally it happens. This is

such a strong factor it can overrule birth order.  Ronald

Reagan was said to have this quality. He was a Second

born with an older brother and won the election over

Jimmy Carter a Firstborn.

Birth Order the Predictor

This information should be considered as another factor in

The election process.  No tool can be 100% correct but if

history is a lesson than both parties must add this to their

tools in the selection process if they want to win.

You can find more information on Double Birth Orders in,

 Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path

Throughout Life by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

Buy an autographed copy at:  www.mybirthorder.com

and receive a family birth order analysis.

Les Miles and Nick Saban Coaches with Different Birth Orders

  

Les Miles

                                                           

                                                                    Nick Saban

Les Miles coach of the LSU Tigers and Nick Saban coach of 

the Alabama Crimson Tide just met on the football field. 

Saban’s team came away with the win in the last possession 

of the game erasing LSU’s lead and the hope for a win in their 

home stadium only to lose 21-17.Both coaches are proven 

winners but their birth orders show them to approach their 

jobs with different personalities.

Unmasking Personalities

Understanding Birth Order can unmask the personalities of

people and understand how they see themselves and relate

to others. Each birth order has both positive and negative

qualities which are influenced by ones interaction with family

members, especially with their siblings.

Les Miles a Firstborn

Les Miles is a Firstborn with a sister 3 years younger than

himself. As a Firstborn he would look to the role of the

dominant parent and in his case it was his father. Hope

“Bubba” Miles was a big man of 300 lbs who loved to laugh

and eat. He supported his firstborn son in everything he did.

Hope had been in the Navy and was a gregarious Irishman.

He gave Les a good self image and the confidence to 

succeed. Les did not have to work to keep the throne and 

his position in the family. Being the oldest and a son to a 

father that loved sports secured the top spot for Les. He 

would be relaxed in this position as he had no fear that his 

younger sister would dethrone him. Les was a natural leader 

and played both football, baseball and was on the wrestling 

team in high school. In college he was an offensive lineman 

for the University of Michigan. He replaced Nick Saban as 

head coach at LSU in 2005.

Personality Traits

The first born is the natural CEO, they like to be in

charge. If they don’t feel threatened they can project

a relaxed atmosphere but the work ethic is strong and if

comfortably in their position they can make hard work

look easy.  Les likes to tell a lot of jokes and laughter is

a frequent sound coming from his office. As hard workers

most firstborns are harder on themselves than others. For

Les his late father is always never far from his thoughts.

He has said, “I was a guy raised to please my Dad”.

Firstborns also have a bit of an ego and like the limelight. 

He is described as the media’s darling and has done two

commercials for ESPN. He even has a following on Twitter

with 64,000 followers the most of any coach using social

media. On occasion he even “tastes” the grass from the

football field much to the delight of his fans. Secure within

himself he takes risk’s. Fake punts and onside kicks are just

a few of his elaborate plays that have earned him the name,

“Mad Hatter”. On his more personal side he is a family man

with four children who he does not neglect and takes his role

as a parent very seriously.   

Nick Saban a Second Born

Nick Saban is a Second born with sister Dianna just one

year older.  His sister called him “Brother” as his father

had the same first name. People in his coal mining town

still call him “Brother”. His father, Nick Sr. was the owner

and operator of Saban’s Service, a gas station but his passion

was football. He helped start the Pop Warner football program

in the 1960’s which still survives today. In high school Nick 

played both quarterback and defensive back but was also a

guard on the basketball team and shortstop on the baseball

team. He went to Kent State on a football scholarship playing

cornerback and safety. He has had numerous coaching 

positions and was the Head coach for LSU in 2004 when 

they won the National Title at the Sugar Bowl. He then went 

on to the Miami Dolphins and the NFL.

Personality Traits

As the Second born Nick would instinctively try to “dethrone”

his older sister, Dianna. At one time he tried to compete with

her and play the accordion. His mother made him stop all

athletics and practice, he soon changed his mind.  As a boy

it would have been easy to demote his sister as his father was

very involved in sports. Another trait of Second borns is that

they don’t like to be told what to do. Usually they strive to

earn enough money so others cannot control them. As the

Coach of the Alabama Tide Nick has a 32 million dollar

8 year contract, a record for any college coach. Coming

back to college football from the NFL may also have

something to do with the control of his players. He has said

he wanted to come back to college because that is where

he can make a difference in the lives of young people. That

may be true but they also don’t have multimillion dollar salaries.

He is known as a no nonsense coach that is driven to win,  

another common trait of the Second born.  Nick has been 

known to work all night looking at the same game film. Many 

reporters at news conferences see him as angry but Nick says 

he is just intense. Another trait of this birth order is that 

Two’s can be very secretive. While with the Dolphins he 

forbade his assistant coaches from speaking to the media. 

His assistant coaches say he is very demanding and he works 

his people hard. He is slow to laugh as he takes everything 

very seriously. As a perfectionist everything is focused on 

winning and success, anything that gets in the way is an 

obstacle. Some have labeled him a control freak and dictator 

but, just look at his results. As a Second born he feels 

everything that happens under him is a reflection on him and 

that he is responsible.

LSU vs. Alabama

Here we have the classic match up of two coaches one a 

Firstborn and the other a Second born that has moved up 

into the Firstborn position. Their football backgrounds 

show Les Miles to be more of an offensive man and Nick 

Saban would lean toward defense. Nick will show less 

emotion and keep control of both himself and his team. 

He will be the less flashy. Les will be the risk taker but 

Nick will show that never give up number Two birth order 

as slow and steady wins the race.  What will next year 

bring when these teams meet again?

For more information on Birth order get my book

Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path 

Throughout Life; by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst or visit
my website  www.mybirthorder.com