Sisters Make Us Better People! It Has Been Scientifically Proven!

Have you got a sister? If, yes, then you are… lucky! If you are a sister, then your siblings should be in seventh heaven (though they might not be even aware of that). Even if you fall out a lot, this relationship brings about lots of advantages in terms of social development. Controversial as it sounds, scientific research has proven that beyond any doubt that it is much better to have a sister than a brother. Why is that so? Well, to cut a long story short, our sisters help us become a better person.

We all know that siblings are a blessing. However, according to a team of American scientists having a sister is even more beneficial. Their role inside a family has been appreciated by scientists and psychologists as they noticed that people who grew up with brothers only are less independent and less ambitious that those who have been accompanied by a sister since they were born.

I bet it could be hard to believe it for some of us. Especially right now, when you have just fallen out with your sister and she seems to be annoying rather than supportive. Let's get back to the problem in 10 minutes after you calm down. I am sure it was nothing but a minor quarrel and soon you and your sisters will be best friends again. The one you can always count on and you just cannot imagine living without.

Interestingly, according to scientists not only does having a sister bring about plenty of advantages, but having these little quarrels over nothing could be positive and useful. This is how we develop our social skills, especially when it comes to handling difficult social situations.

In 2010 scientists examined 400 numerous families. The findings of the experiment were published in 'Journal of Family Psychology' demonstrated that having a sister can improve your mental health and self-esteem.

The scientists from the Brigham Young University (USA) concluded that sisters protect their siblings against the feeling of loneliness, being unloved, guilt and fears. That is why their role in promoting mental health cannot be ignored.

'What is more, in the future it is sisters again who care the most to keep all the family in touch, especially after parents' death.'

As part of the same research, the scientists from the Brigham Young University discovered that having a sister can help you become a better person. This is connected with emotional expression and promoting positive social behaviors (like sympathy and altruism) by showing love and emotional attachment.

Thanks to sisters we become nicer, more caring, more devoted and much more sympathetic. Moreover, we get more ambitious, determined and independent than those who grow up among brothers only.

Tony Cassidy, a co-author of the 2009 research, of the University of Ulster (Ireland) highlights the following:

'It is all about this internal drive to do thing better and better and strive to accomplish our goals. And it looks that in the family context girls determine happiness by encouraging to achieve and maintain independence.'

It looks like the positive impact of the sister relationship is much stronger than those resulting from parental bond.

The research conducted included 571 volunteers aged 17 – 25. It turned out that people who were brought up with at least one sister feels less stressed. Moreover, they generally do better when it comes to dealing with everyday life problems.

The scientists have also found out that people having a sister are more sensitive to other people being harmed, they are better at establishing new contacts, they are more open and more frequently show their emotions. They also find it easier to express their point of view.

Alex Jensen from the School of Life at the Brigham Young University, the author of articles about sibling relationships, points out that having a sister brings many benefits which have been scientifically proven. And it's even small conflicts that could be educational in terms of the siblings' development.

It helps to develop such skills as communication, compromise or negotiation.

Thanks to sisters we develop our empathy skills, e can communicate better, solve conflicts and maintain close relations.

The research has also demonstrated that boys who grew up with sisters in their adult life are better at communication with women than those who are only children or have brothers only. It stems from the fact that during adolescence a sister is a priceless source of information about girls.

In this respect, it is simply speaking a big advantage to have a sibling of the opposite sex (so for girls having a brother could also be useful!)

The research has also revealed the fact that sisters help their siblings keep the inner peace. Having at least one sister makes us feel happier and more positive towards life than those who don't have any siblings or have brothers only.

It all results from the female nature and the way of expressing emotions, which is of critical importance for our good mental health.

According to scientists, it doesn’t really matter whether your sister is younger or older than you. And the age difference (in this case) is not crucial, either. What really matters is the fact that she is there for you!

Jeffrey Kluger, the author of 'The Sibling Effect', explains:

'If you have an older sister, whenever you have a quarrel with her, you learn to solve conflicts, handle difficult situations and mitigate them. On the other hand, younger sisters, who are weaker and need your support, can teach you how to be supportive and more empathic towards other people.'

The research about the impact of our sisters is really thought-provoking. And even if you don’t consider yourself the worst person in the world, perhaps having a sister would have let you be at least a bit better. So if you are thinking of having a child, once it turns out this is going to be a girl, remember about all the assets discussed above that daughters bring for this world!