The passage primarily explains why mothers may favor some children over others, highlighting that parental favoritism often arises from a combination of factors such as birth order, child personality and behavior, parental stress, and cultural expectations. Favoritism can be subtle or overt and is frequently unintentional, shaped by how parents interact differently with each child based on these factors

. It also discusses the long-term effects of favoritism on children, including impacts on mental health, self-esteem, sibling relationships, and adult social functioning. Both favored and non-favored children can experience negative consequences, such as jealousy, resentment, self-doubt, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships later in life. However, favoritism is not permanent and can be mitigated through conscious parenting strategies like fair discipline, equal praise, and fostering sibling bonding

. Thus, the passage explains something fundamental about people: that parental favoritism is a common, complex human behavior influenced by various psychological and social factors, and it affects family dynamics and individual development deeply. It reflects the contrasting sides of human nature in families-how love and bias coexist and how these dynamics shape human relationships and well-being. The passage does not address why there is harmony in all things or left- and right-handedness, nor does it broadly explain the contrasting sides of human nature beyond the context of parental favoritism. Instead, it focuses on the nuanced reasons behind favoritism and its effects on people