The Big Story Born Into It: The Sibling Effect and the Making of High Achievers
Jun 9, 2025
Susan Dominus, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The New York Times and author of "The Family Dynamic," discusses the profound influence of family on success. She delves into how sibling order affects individual life paths, revealing insights on the dynamics of high-achieving families. Dominus shares compelling stories about how older siblings mentor younger ones, the importance of parental attitudes, and the intricate dance of sibling relationships in shaping academic and career outcomes. Join her as she uncovers the sibling effect and its impact on achievement.
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Parents Shape Ambition and Optimism
- High-achieving families often have parents who overcame extraordinary challenges themselves.
- These parents modeled toughness and optimism, fostering a culture of ambition and possibility.
Birth Order's Real Effects
- Birth order does not strongly predict personality differences among siblings.
- Cognitive advantages for firstborns come from undivided parental attention before siblings arrive.
Groff Siblings Excel Differently
- The Groff siblings excelled in different areas: oldest brother academically, Lauren as novelist, and Sarah as an Olympic athlete.
- Sarah consciously chose to dominate sports instead of academics, illustrating sibling differentiation.
