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Why being a middle seat child makes you more successful

Sitting in the middle seat can feel like getting the short straw at the time, but new research has revealed that middle seat children grow up to be successful and rich!

Image: 'Three Amigos' by Tim Sanoff via Flickr, CC 2.0

Image: 'Three Amigos' by Tim Sanoff via Flickr, CC 2.0

When piling into the back of a car as a family, there’s often one child who always gets the middle seat. The lack of legroom, awkward seat belts, nowhere to rest your arm and no window to gaze out of make the middle seat the undisputed short straw.

However, a recent study has shown that the underdogs that reside in the car’s middle ground often grow up to be very successful in business.

It has been suggested that the perceived unfair discrimination gives the middle seat sitters the drive to succeed and ‘beat’ their siblings later in life.

A ŠKODA Octavia study of 1,000 Brits with two or more siblings found that:

  • 90 per cent of those at director level had been middle seat children.
  • Three in four business owners sat in the middle seat as a child.
  • 80 per cent acknowledged a link between their middle seat misery and their current success.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that adults who attribute their success to their time spent as the middle seat child might make them bitter, but the results of the study show something quite different.

How does this affect their attitude as managers?

  • Almost half thought of themselves as easy going.
  • One in four said they were patient.
  • 21 per cent said they were adaptable.

Child psychologist, Laverne Antrobus, comments: ‘This research by ŠKODA into family car journeys is really interesting; cars are a unique environment and a lot can be revealed when everyone is sitting together in a confined space. It’s fascinating to see how a seating position in the back of the car, often over many years, can directly reflect or influence our personalities.

Whether middle seat children were made to sit there or not they seem to develop positive traits which prove to be of real value to them as adults, and often, interestingly, in their careers.
'Whether middle seat children were made to sit there or not they seem to develop positive traits which prove to be of real value to them as adults, and often, interestingly, in their careers.’

Do you think there are other ways that in-car dynamics can affect you in life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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About the Author

Sophie McGraw

Staff writer at Arnold Clark

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