An Anonymous person commented on a Blog I wrote some time back about Only Child Syndrome. He too has been victim of the syndrome.Anonymous said...
My boss, my boss's boss and one of the assistant's in my team are all only children. They are nice people and I certainly do like them, but they are quite difficult to get on with sometimes in a work context. They get so defensive and possessive! Trouble is, the boss doesn't see that he is messing things up... it is like he can't accept that he has made any mistakes - it is ALWAYS someone else's fault. It is exhausting *sigh*
I came upon a website that listed the "Top 10 Most Evil Women." I don't know how many of the Evil Women were Only Child Syndrome textbook-type cases, but I do know at least one was, she being Mary I of England, the only child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. When Mary became the Queen of England she was able to give full reign to her Only Child Syndrome tendencies. She became known as "Bloody Mary" due to all the Protestants she sent to the gallows, because Mary, the Only Child, believed everyone should be a Catholic like she was. "Bloody Mary's" Reign of Terror did not last long.
It is a good thing that most Only Children do not get into power positions with execution privileges. I've only known one Only Child in Texas. She was a mess. The Only Children I've known in Washington have all fit the stereotype to varying degrees, with the worst being a mental case, with a sense of entitlement, so elevated, she constantly wreaks havoc in her wake and does not even let legal interventions, like jail time, cause her to question and change her beliefs and behaviors.
The first shrink, Alfred Adler, to identify the condition, believed Only Child Syndrome to be a mental disease in need of treatment. Maybe it should be illegal to have only one kid. That'd probably be a hard law to enforce. Or get made into law. Maybe mandatory therapy is the answer to this pressing problem.
Are you an only child? Or one of many?
ReplyDeleteOK I admit there are psycos that are only children but there are more so psychos from larger families.
I am an only child and I don't consider myslef the way you describe Only children, nor do other people around me as far as I know.
Look up a research paper by Lisen C. Roberts and Priscilla White Blanton called "I always knew mom and dad loved me best: Experiences of only children." It's a good read and lets you in on life of singles.
Maybe when you see what we have to worry about and what made us what we are you will understand better. I know some onlies are monsters but we did not chose to be only children. Our parents did. And when you are treated a certain way from childhood you get used to it. You can't teach and old dog new tricks.
Anyway perhaps I'm rambling, it has been a long day.
TTYL
Interesting topic -- timely, too -- as I've been in ongoing discussion w/my two sisters about birth-order personality traits & compatible mates.
ReplyDeleteI understand the percentages of only-child psychotics compared to the general population, but must agree w/Anonym that there exists a greater probability of socio-psycho disorders produced from large familes.
My daughter is an only child (not my original plan) and is an intelligent, talented, independent & socially well-adjusted young horse trainer living & working in Florida. And did I say beautiful?
From the perspective of the first-born of seven -- and female -- I believe one of the reasons my daughter was able to accomplish her goals and realize her dream for her life is because she is an only.
I definitely agree about the obese, having had more than my share of these not only among friends & acquaintances, but in my own family as well. They cannot control themselves so are compulsed to control others. They always, always have control issues, without exception.
As for legislation against only children .... shhh! Don't tell China. Maybe India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Africa and others will follow the example.
Wow, Somaphyx, you really are going way deep back in the blog. You will come to another blogging. Or two. About OCS. One of them had quite a firestorm of comments. When you go back far enough you will come to the incident, well, person, who caused me to ponder obesity, only child syndrome, psychotropic drugs and a few other things as I tried to figure out the mentally ill nutcase I'd been subjected to.
ReplyDelete