Psychologists believe that birth order of both spouses plays a significant role in the success of a marriage.

The best marriages are believed to be between oldest sisters and youngest brothers. Why?

Because, in a nutshell, oldest sisters are accustomed to being mommies and youngest brothers are accustomed to being babied. Such matches are made in heaven.

On the other hand, firstborn children tend to be dominant. Pairing them up is virtually a recipe for disaster. There will be constant competition and strife, which may eventually lead to divorce.

Similarly, only children are all used to being the center of attention. Again, attempting to mate such competitive spirits in a successful marriage is likely doomed to fail.

While psychologists admit that birth order shouldn’t conclusively decide whether to proceed with a particular union, they suggest that intendeds analyze their respective birth orders and the implications of same before embarking on marriage.

While perhaps lacking in romance, this perspective gives prospective life partners a barometer against which to judge the likelihood that their proposed match will last until death do they part.

Not to mention the dating advice it provides for some: if you want to avoid divorce, psychologists recommend that oldest sisters should set their sights on youngest brothers and youngest brothers should court oldest sisters.

As the song says, “what’s love got to do with it?”

Read more in this San Luis Obispo Tribune article: Birth order can indicate whether your marriage will work out — or not.