75+ Sibling Rivalry Quotes: Turning Competition into Cooperation
Little do most people know, sibling rivalry has become so common that it’s already considered normal in family life. In fact, studies show that 80% of families have sibling rivalry. Though a bit challenging, sibling rivalry provides your kid with rare opportunities for personal growth, conflict resolution, and empathizing with others. In developing this complex feature of family dynamics, we have collated 80 insightful quotes on sibling rivalry. These words of wisdom not only cast light on the competitive nature of sibling relationships but also provide insight into how that rivalry is to be transformed into cooperation and mutual support.
A Collection of Sibling Rivalry Quotes
- “Siblings: children of the same parents, each of whom is perfectly normal until they get together.” – Sam Levenson
- “The advantage of growing up with siblings is that you become very good at fractions.” – Robert Brault
- “Siblings that say they never fight are most definitely hiding something.” – Lemony Snicket
- “I don’t believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.” – Maya Angelou
- “Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring – quite often the hard way.” – Pamela Dugdale
These opening quotes set the tone for our collection, highlighting the complex dynamics of sibling relationships.
- “If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.” – Sam Levenson
- “Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.” – Vietnamese Proverb
- “Sibling rivalry is inevitable. The only sure way to avoid it is to have only one child.” – Delia Ephron
- “The best way to get a puppy is to beg for a baby brother – and they’ll settle for a puppy every time.” – Winston Pendleton
- “Siblings: your only enemy you can’t live without.” – Unknown
These quotes playfully capture the love-hate relationship that often exists between siblings.
- “Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.” – Amy Li
- “When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life.” – Antisthenes
- “Sisters never quite forgive each other for what happened when they were five.” – Pam Brown
- “You can kid the world, but not your sister.” – Charlotte Gray
- “More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you’ve been bad and good.” – Linda Sunshine
These quotes highlight the unique understanding and sometimes contentious relationship between siblings.
- “I think people that have a brother or sister don’t realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there’s always somebody there, somebody that’s family.” – Trey Parker
- “Your siblings are the only people in the world who know what it’s like to have been brought up the way you were.” – Betsy Cohen
- “To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were.” – Clara Ortega
- “The only person I lie to is my little sister, when I steal her chocolate.” – Unknown
- “Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.” – Charles M. Schulz
These quotes beautifully capture the mix of love, rivalry, and shared experiences that define sibling relationships.
- “Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.” – Unknown
- “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.” – Marc Brown
- “A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves – a special kind of double.” – Toni Morrison
- “Sisters and brothers just happen, we don’t get to choose them, but they become one of our most cherished relationships.” – Wes Adamson
- “Sibling rivalry is just the beginning of a lifelong competition.” – Unknown
These quotes remind us of the special bond between siblings, even in the midst of rivalry.
- “The greatest gifts my parents ever gave me were my brothers.” – Unknown
- “What sets sisters apart from brothers and also from friends is a very intimate meshing of heart, soul and the mystical cords of memory.” – Carol Saline
- “Brothers don’t necessarily have to say anything to each other – they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
- “My elder brother won’t die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.” – Oscar Wilde
- “If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.” – Sam Levenson
These quotes highlight the unique ways siblings influence and understand each other, despite their rivalries.
- “I grew up with a younger brother, so I can get pretty rowdy.” – Sarah Wynter
- “The best thing about having four big brothers is you always have someone to do something for you.” – Chloe Moretz
- “My brother is one of my true heroes. Steady and sober where I am impulsive and emotional.” – Mark McKinnon
- “I’m the youngest of four kids. There’s something true to being the youngest child in a family. You’re the most protected and you’re the most beat-up. It’s a strange spot to be in.” – John Cusack
- “As a brother and sister, our tastes were pretty different growing up. He liked a lot of early hip hop. My dad didn’t understand it and would try to talk him out of it.” – Taryn Manning
These quotes playfully capture the dynamics between brothers and sisters, showing how rivalry can coexist with affection.
- “I wish I could say I see my little brother more. We used to fight all the time but now that I don’t see him very often I cherish the time I have with him.” – Zac Efron
- “I’m a middle child, and I have a younger sister who is stunning – just beautiful and smart.” – Courteney Cox
- “I had a really wonderful upbringing. We were a tight family. It was wonderful to grow up with so many siblings. We were all just a year or two apart, and we were always so supportive of each other.” – Marta Kauffman
- “I’m the youngest of three boys. Both of my older brothers are successful and married and have great jobs and it kind of puts the pressure on me.” – Colin Hanks
- “I’m a quasi-only child. With my brother and sister, I’ve more of a tendency to be semi-maternal. So, yes, I spent a lot of time talking to myself – I had this big dressing-up box and would just dress up as lots of characters and talk back to myself… Verging on schizophrenia, I suppose, if you analyze it carefully.” – Helena Bonham Carter
These quotes remind us of the lasting impact siblings have on our lives, even as we grow older and rivalries fade.
- “I was the youngest. The yule lamb. The one who always got away without doing the washing up.” – Diane Cilento
- “I’m the oldest of three girls. My sisters are awesome. I love them very much.” – Stephanie Beatriz
- “I’m the youngest of four, and they were all very into sports. I was the first one to express an interest in the arts. I took piano lessons and singing lessons, acting lessons. So it was all new for them, but my parents were great.” – Megan Hilty
- “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Sibling rivalry is inevitable. The only sure way to avoid it is to have only one child.” – Delia Ephron
These quotes showcase how birth order and family dynamics shape our experiences and can fuel rivalry.
- “The greatest gift our parents ever gave us was each other.” – Unknown
- “In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.” – Unknown
- “Brothers and sisters separated by distance joined by love.” – Chuck Danes
- “Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring – quite often the hard way.” – Pamela Dugdale
- “Sibling rivalry is inevitable. The only sure way to avoid it is to have only one child.” – Delia Ephron
These quotes highlight both the challenges and benefits of sibling relationships.
- “To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were.” – Clara Ortega
- “Siblings that say they never fight are most definitely hiding something.” – Lemony Snicket
- “The advantage of growing up with siblings is that you become very good at fractions.” – Robert Brault
- “Siblings: your only enemy you can’t live without.” – Unknown
- “Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.” – Vietnamese Proverb
These quotes playfully capture the love-hate relationship that often exists between siblings.
- “Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.” – Amy Li
- “When brothers agree, no fortress is so strong as their common life.” – Antisthenes
- “Sisters never quite forgive each other for what happened when they were five.” – Pam Brown
- “You can kid the world, but not your sister.” – Charlotte Gray
- “More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you’ve been bad and good.” – Linda Sunshine
These quotes highlight the unique understanding and sometimes contentious relationship between siblings.
- “I think people that have a brother or sister don’t realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there’s always somebody there, somebody that’s family.” – Trey Parker
- “Your siblings are the only people in the world who know what it’s like to have been brought up the way you were.” – Betsy Cohen
- “To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were.” – Clara Ortega
- “The only person I lie to is my little sister, when I steal her chocolate.” – Unknown
- “Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.” – Charles M. Schulz
These quotes beautifully capture the mix of love, rivalry, and shared experiences that define sibling relationships.
- “Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.” – Unknown
- “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.” – Marc Brown
- “A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves – a special kind of double.” – Toni Morrison
- “Sisters and brothers just happen, we don’t get to choose them, but they become one of our most cherished relationships.” – Wes Adamson
- “Sibling rivalry is just the beginning of a lifelong competition.” – Unknown
These quotes remind us of the special bond between siblings, even in the midst of rivalry.
- “The greatest gifts my parents ever gave us were each other.” – Unknown
- “What sets sisters apart from brothers and also from friends is a very intimate meshing of heart, soul and the mystical cords of memory.” – Carol Saline
- “Brothers don’t necessarily have to say anything to each other – they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
- “My elder brother won’t die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.” – Oscar Wilde
- “If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.” – Sam Levenson
These quotes highlight the unique ways siblings influence and understand each other, despite their rivalries.
- “I grew up with a younger brother, so I can get pretty rowdy.” – Sarah Wynter
- “The best thing about having four big brothers is you always have someone to do something for you.” – Chloe Moretz
- “My brother is one of my true heroes. Steady and sober where I am impulsive and emotional.” – Mark McKinnon
- “I’m the youngest of four kids. There’s something true to being the youngest child in a family. You’re the most protected and you’re the most beat-up. It’s a strange spot to be in.” – John Cusack
- “As a brother and sister, our tastes were pretty different growing up. He liked a lot of early hip hop. My dad didn’t understand it and would try to talk him out of it.” – Taryn Manning
As we close this set of quotes about sibling rivalry, complex and challenging yet rewarding natures of sibling relationships come to a close. These sayings bring forth wisdom on the competitiveness that is bound to rise between brothers and sisters, yet point toward deeper connections and mutual understandings that can come out of these rivalries.
From squabbles of childhood to the camaraderie that may ensue with age, these quotes provide nuance for all areas of sibling relationships. This reminds us that rivalry, in its positive light, serves as a push toward growth, excellence, and understanding of oneself and others. While they do, however, remind one of the need to transcend competition toward cooperation and mutual support.
Now, consider these quotes, relating them to your personal experiences with siblings. Let the following words fortify the cherished uniqueness of sibling relationships, let them teach you something from your past rivalries, and let them forge stronger and harmonious bonds with your brothers or sisters. After all, siblings are often our longest-lived companions in life, and what started as childhood rivalry so often develops into the strongest alliances in adult life.