Middle children are likely to be more creative and successful than their elder and younger siblings, a researcher has claimed.
Researcher Katrin Schumann claims many of the "disadvantages" associated with being a middle child actually feed into "strong social lives and flourishing careers".
Writing in the Daily Mail, she said: "I was amazed at how much ill-feeling we encountered - not just in interviews we conducted but also in dozens of internet forums.
"But much of this indignation is misplaced. We discovered during our research that the stereotype does not correspond to reality.
Nelson Mandela is just one example of a successful middle child
AP
"Far from being doomed to failure and loneliness, middle children are more likely than their siblings to be successful and enjoy strong social lives and flourishing careers.
"The apparent disadvantages they endure in childhood turn out to be beneficial, in many cases giving them the attributes of empathy, independence, articulacy and creativity."
Ms Schumann points to tech entrepreneur and billionaire Bill Gates as an example of a middle child who has gone on to be incredibly successful.
Another example supporting her research is US presidents - 52 per cent of American leaders since 1787 have been middle children, including Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy.
Other historical examples include the South African freedom fighter and eventual president, Nelson Mandela, and American civil rights activist Martin Luther King.
Ms Schumann continues: "There is no need for despondency or resentment among middle children.
"Their position, with its road to independence, has put them in the luckiest position of all."
