How is your personality and interests and behavior different from your sibling's?

There was a story on Morning Edition today about how siblings can be so different. I find such things fascinating. I thought about my children, and I realized that my son idolizes his sister, that he has to do everything she does, only better.

She was a very good artist, and he worked very hard and now he is even better. She stopped doing art… at least at home. Then, recently, she came home from school one day to say the teacher wanted her to take advanced art, and she showed some of her work. My son said, over and over, “I can do that.”

She is also a very good musician. Piano. I had my son start piano, and now he has become very good. A couple of years ago, my daughter stopped playing. She sings now.

He absolutely idolizes her, and yet he wants to do everything she does, only better. Very competitive—even though he hates competition. She has always been good to him, and taken care of him, and tried to teach him.

I suppose there can be many, many differences between siblings—personality, interests, behavior. What are some of the differences you’ve noticed with your siblings? If you don’t have any siblings, what kind of differences have you noticed in other sibling relationships you’ve seen?