My eldest son ( age 11) thinks his two younger brothers are nuisances. My second son ( age 9) thinks the youngest ( age 4) is also a nuisance to him.

For parents of 2 or more children, I guess this is not something that is alien to you.

Sibling rivalry happens, no matter how you manage them.

The youngest one, for instance, wants to get everything his brothers have. When we buy some books for the first one, he also wants to have his book ( even if he does not know how to read). He also wants to play with the computer ( even if he does not know how to operate). He wants to get his share of TV, his share of food, his share of toys, and his share of attention.

He plays with the video machine, or the computer and does not know what exactly is the objective of the game. But he gains pleasure in able to control the movements, and influence the cursor.

His constant scream is “Let me participate. Let me be part of it. Let me feel important! See me influence and control the computer and do this! I want to do everything my brother does, and I can do it better! ”

When we grow up, we will be able to do a better job to mask our emotions, and we will also be able to reveal less of our natural selves especially if we are not with our own family.

But the constant scream in all of us , “I want to be part, I am as important and as capable a member than anybody, I want to feel important” will still be there, and is an important need for everybody and ourselves that we need to recognize if we want to be successful in our interrelationships.

History is replete with examples how people will go to great lengths and sacrifices to assert their pride and dignity. We all have this innate need to feel that we matter.

The person who knows how to manage this within himself, and in his interrelationships with others will be the more successful manager and businessman.