Credit and Blame at Work

Exploring the psychological forces at play while you work.

by Ben Dattner

Is your workplace personality out of (birth) order?

By Ben Dattner, Ph.D. on June 2, 2008 in Credit and Blame at Work

Are your siblings to blame, or to thank, for your workplace personality? Read More

I fit the mold

Submitted by Becky on June 2, 2008 - 8:34am.

I have one older sister and we seem to fit the mold for older and younger siblings in terms of our work patterns.

As an older sibling, my sister has always been impossibly driven. She graduated from Harvard Law and worked as a coorperate attorney in Chicago before her two children were born ( she then took off work and engrossed herself in parenting books and proper preparation for her next task of perfect mothering). My sister is very kind and able to get along with others, although she blatently prefers social structure. She has done very well for herself.

As a younger sibling, I have always been inclined to walk a bit outside of formal structure. I don't have the discipline to accomplish what my sister has accomplished ( nor the intellect), however, I am very empathic and in tune with human nature. This led me to psychology and getting my LPC. I thrive on human differences, am fascinated by different cultures, and have little trouble taking risks and being a bit rebellious. I desperately want to find out something about human nature that can lead to extraordinary gains in human happiness. My sister once told me, and I think it sums up our sibling positions quite well, "Becky, your life stresses me out." In contrast, her highly structured life no doubt stresses me out:)