Science Says 'Middle Seat Kids' Are Actually More Successful In Life

Being stuck in the middle seat during a road trip means long hours trapped with one sibling's sleeping head on your right shoulder while the other brother or sister is kicking and screaming on your left.

Throwing a fit will only catch your parents' attention a few times, so you're forced to cope with the injustice of the seating arrangement.

As it turns out, the skills you pick up while nursing leg cramps and uncomfortable seat belt positioning serve you later in life.

An oddly specific 1,000-person survey by car manufacturer ŠKODA shows adults who rode in the middle seat as children are extremely successful later in life due to qualities such as patience and an "easy-going" nature.

ŠKODA reports 90 percent of those at executive levels in their companies remember being squeezed into middle seats during their formative years.

The same recollection applied to 72 percent of survey responders who owned businesses and 62 percent of those in management positions.

In a press release, study consultant and child psychologist Laverne Antrobus stated the backseat of a car is something of a high-pressure environment, adding,

A lot can be revealed when everyone is sitting together in a confined space. It's fascinating to see how a seating position in the back of the car, often over many years, can directly reflect or influence our personalities.

Whether he or she is resolving fights between siblings on either side or fielding snacks thrown during an impromptu food fight, the middle seat kid always has to stay calm.

It seems to have made a difference for the respondents in this survey; 80 percent told ŠKODA some of their best qualities could be traced back to those humid days in the middle seat.

Citations: Middle Seat Kids Grow Up To Be More Successful, Says Study u2014 What Else Does Your Childhood Car Seat Position Say About You? (Bustle)