Parenting,Social Issues,RelationshipsOCT 19, 2022

"One Becomes A Narcissist And One Doesn't": Doctor Explains Why No One Ever Has "The Same Parents"

Do you have siblings? Whether you’re the first born, middle child, baby or somewhere else in between, chances are the role you play in your family has been shaped by where you fell in the birth order. But it’s not as simple as being destined for a life of high-achieving if you’re the first born, being overlooked if you’re in the middle and being coddled if you’re the youngest. According to one doctor, growing up in the same household does not even guarantee that we have the same parents as our siblings.

Dahlia Kurtz recently shared an interview with Dr. Gabor Maté on TikTok where he explained why no two children have the same parents, and his sentiments resonated with many viewers. Below, you’ll find his whole explanation that might also strike a chord with you, some of the replies fascinated viewers have left, and an interview we were lucky enough to receive from Dahlia Kurtz.

We would love to hear your thoughts on Dr. Maté’s insight in the comments if you grew up with brothers and sisters, and then if you’re looking for another Bored Panda article highling how vastly different siblings’ experiences can be, look no further than right here.

After being asked how siblings can turn out vastly different despite being raised in the same circumstances, physician Dr. Gabor Maté raised a fascinating point

Image credits: dahliakurtz

Image credits: Vidal Balielo Jr. (not the actual photo)

He explained that no two siblings can ever have the exact same experience with their parents

Dr. Maté is an expert on childhood development and often writes and speaks about topics such as this

Image credits: Gabor Maté

You can hear his full explanation right here

When it comes to raising siblings the same way, the conversation usually revolves around raising boys and girls the same way. Parents are told not to impose gender roles or stereotypes onto their children that might cause them to grow up with prejudices or feel unsafe to explore their true personality and interests. That is a very important conversation to have, but far less often do we hear people call attention to the fact that siblings are actually never raised the same way.

To gain more insight on this particular topic, we reached out to the woman who interviewed Dr. Maté in the video, radio host, speaker and podcaster Dahlia Kurtz. We were curious if Dahlia resonated with what Dr. Maté shared during this interview. "When Dr. Maté explained that no two children are raised by the same parents - my entire perception and understanding of my family dynamic shifted," Dahlia told Bored Panda. "And while his reasoning came from a very educated, researched, and experienced place, I felt like this answer seemed so obvious I should have known it my entire life. I think this is because when things resonate so clearly, in hindsight they seem so obvious."

"But I will say, even though Dr. Maté said that as the middle child I could not compete with the baby for cuteness - I was the only girl and pretty dang cute," Dahlia added. I'll second that; being the middle child does have its perks when you're sandwiched between two brothers, at least in my experience.

Dahlia also shared some of the most enlightening things she has learned from her conversations with Dr. Maté. The three big points that struck her were his explanation about siblings having different parents, how everything goes back to childhood trauma (which you can find him discuss in this TikTok), and his advice for people who feel like they can't go on, which you can find in this TikTok. The full conversation between Dahlia and Dr. Maté can be found on her website right here.

We also asked Dahlia if she has taken anything from her conversations with Dr. Maté that she remembers in her everyday life. "Well, for one, I can't stop thinking about our conversation because people have not stopped asking me about it," she shared with a smile. "But I'm so happy about that. Because it shows how desperately people want to heal. How they want to be better. How they want to help others."

"I've actually been thinking less about me and more about those who think they are stuck in whatever helpless situation," Dahlia explained. "I'm trying to figure out a way to get Dr. Maté's insight to them. Words are powerful. And his words can save lives. Especially in such a deep-rooted loneliness epidemic like the one we're living in. People do not feel seen. He sees them. They need to feel this. It will show them there's hope. And they will realize they are so much stronger than they think they are."

"As Dr. Maté told me, if you are even thinking that you can't go on, if you are even questioning yourself, that part of you that is having that conversation inside your head, is the part of you that cares about you. So if there's a part of you that really cares about you, you really do have value," Dahlia shared.

Finally, we asked Dahlia if she thinks it's important for parents and children to hear the message Dr. Maté shared in this video. "Absolutely," she said. "When you understand things in context, why they happen, then you can shift your perspective. Self-blame and self-hate diminish. Your empathy increases. Your compassion increases. And maybe most importantly, your self-compassion increases."

If you'd like to see more uplifting content from Dahlia, be sure to follow her on TikTok and check out her podcast Live And Help Live, which she describes as "kinda like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood - but for adults", on her website right here.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this video down below. Could you always tell that you were raised differently than your siblings, or has seeing this video been a major epiphany for you? Feel free to share your personal experiences, pandas, and then if you’re interested in gaining even more knowledge from Dr. Maté, you can find his website right here.