Has anyone ever studied if there is any relation between birth order for twins and their reletive success in life? In a sense, the second born twin has lost the first competition in life… a sign of things to come? Any studies on the mental effects on the second twin knowing that they were, well, second?
Google - twins’ birth order
to find several sites, and cites, on the subject. Take your pick.
Anecdotal. My father was an identical twin, born second. Neither he nor my uncle was outstandingly successful but they got by comfortably although the great depression of the 30’s was a rough patch.
As far as could be told birth order was never an issue. They were not only twin brothers but the best of friends and remained so as long as both lived. Incidently my father died first at age 74 and my uncle lived to 91 or 92.
The only time that I know of that birth order arose concerned the delivery of mail. One was named Clifford and the other Clarence. Both were C. Simmons and mail so addressed often got delivered to the wrong one. So they took arbitrary middle initials. My uncle took A having been born first and became C. A. Simmons. My father was C. B. Simmons.