2007-07-03

Norwegian Good

I always knew I was smart! My younger brother's only doing a Masters degree to finally get one over on his childhood nemesis (i.e. me) and now some scientists from Oslo have come out on my side. Tough break there, bro, since I got the looks too.



This new discovery is like a horoscope: I believe the parts I like and brush aside those that don't fit with my own experience... such as my own sibling achieving more academically and physically than I (on paper). Perhaps the eldest develops faster and becomes more resourceful because he/she meets the challenges of growing up head-on? Or maybe the second child benefits from having the first as a guide, chooses his/her battles more carefully and develops more steadily as a result?

I'll defer to the experts because they plainly know more than I do and their conclusion bolsters my ego. Just yesterday I saw an ad for a beauty product bragging about its "Norwegian formula" as if that were a selling point in itself, so don't be questioning the Scandinavian science!

posted by thisismarcus @ 14:02 

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

He's doing a PhD, is he not? Bit of a difference there, fella!

And, as I said about that article to someone last week, it's not the case in my house. Even though I do say so myself!

14:42  
Blogger thisismarcus said...

Oops! There I go, showing my ignorance, again. Alice is quite right and I am a hoople-head.

For the record, my bro and I haven't fought since our early teens. This article is just riddled with inaccuracies! :)

14:50  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't believe that you LIE on your blog! Mine's pure truth. Shame on you!

(And I only pointed it out because I'll not have anyone believing that a PhD is anything less than the most difficult thing in all the world, innit!!)

14:53  
Blogger The Paranoid Mod said...

Try collating 16th century books. Or, you know, not.

18:08  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, fair point there.

19:34  
Blogger Basquiat Scrawls said...

I reckon that its all to do with the amount of time spent with adults. Not exactly a revelation, but i don't mean because more undivided attention results in a higher IQ. IQ tests are a ridiculously narrow way of measuring intelligence but the characteristics and problem solving appoaches that they uphold as desirable are learned by the eldest child more effectively so that they can fit in with the adults around them. The second child however can communicate on a child to child level and doesn't experience the same urgency to learn and adopt adult communication. See case study One Miss Jessica Faith, first born; great communicator and socially adept genius. Case study two, Master Joseph Samuel, second born, well developed imaginative and physical abilities. adult level communication level? - well he leaves that to his sister! i rest my case.

22:36  
Blogger Basquiat Scrawls said...

sorry i know i should learn about paragraphs.

22:37  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I didn't read the whole article (probably because I was the last born in my family), but something tells me these so-called scientists were first-borns.

From what I've witnessed, it seems the oldest child tends to work harder in life, which might result in a higher IQ. However, the following children learn from their older siblings, which tends to make them (me) somewhat precocious and all that, but it also makes life easier. I didn't have to figure out that my parents were Santa Claus--my siblings just told me.

Clearly, though, I'm the genius in my family :)

13:04  

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