# How much to cut off your hand? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658 "2012-11-02T13:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/1 "2012-11-02T13:25:55Z")
I want to cut off your non-dominant hand. Never mind why. How much will you take for it? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/2 "2012-11-02T13:27:36Z")
No price. I’d whore myself out before I ever, ever cut off a hand. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/3 "2012-11-02T13:29:02Z")
I play guitar and piano. There’s not enough money in the world. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/4 "2012-11-02T13:34:35Z")
done now lets negotiate quickly pls im feling faintttt ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/5 "2012-11-02T14:50:38Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I play guitar and piano. There’s not enough money in the world. Concur. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/6 "2012-11-02T14:57:15Z")
I’d do it easily for a mere $1,000,000,000,000.00. Then I’d spend a couple million to make the best robotic hand ever. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/7 "2012-11-02T15:02:15Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/8 "2012-11-02T15:09:40Z")
I have enough money to be safe and warm and have a comfortable life. Sure, I’d like $100 million, but it wouldn’t be worth my hand. So, you’re on a jury. Someone has lost his hand due to the negligence of another. How much do you award in damages? ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/9 "2012-11-02T15:14:19Z")
It’d have to be an awful lot. Hard to quantify, but it’d need to be at least enough for me to never need to hold a job again. Let’s say 50 million, to set up enough guaranteed income that I’m never going to want for anything. Add another 10 million so that I can always have enough wealth to be on the cutting edge of prosthetics when cool new stuff comes out. Let’s make it 100 million all together, to make it worth my while. Any less, and I might wind up regretting it. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/10 "2012-11-02T15:15:12Z")
I’m a pianist and love to crochet. But for $1 billion I can find new outlets. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/11 "2012-11-02T15:17:26Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > done now lets negotiate > quickly pls im feling faintttt I’m doing the cutting here. No deal! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/12 "2012-11-02T15:19:03Z")
First I must know – will I have phantom pain? Chronic post-amputation infections? Or will I simply be missing a hand? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/13 "2012-11-02T15:20:00Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > done now lets negotiate > quickly pls im feling faintttt > [@DCnDC](#): > > I’m doing the cutting here. No deal! 😉 **VT** , you still have a hand. Apply pressure. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/14 "2012-11-02T15:27:50Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > First I must know – will I have phantom pain? Chronic post-amputation infections? Or will I simply be missing a hand? Your post-amputation concerns are your business. I’m merely paying to cut it off (as safely and painlessly as modern medicine allows) and take it away. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/15 "2012-11-02T15:59:50Z")
My dominant hand isn’t dominant enough to be able to risk the other. While I write with my left hand, I do so many other things right handed (like mousing) that I’d be hosed whichever one got chopped. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/16 "2012-11-02T16:06:04Z")
Even though I have no special talents or avocations that require having two hands to pursue, I very much like having two hands. I’d rather have two hands than one hand and a shitload of money, for all values of ‘shitload.’ ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/17 "2012-11-02T16:10:39Z")
Give that man a hand. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/18 "2012-11-02T16:19:51Z")
Surgery with drugs?! Not a chainsaw or an ax? Sorry not interested. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/19 "2012-11-02T16:52:13Z")
I said ten million, though I’d have chosen a bit more ideally. ---
**Author:** ![Cryptic\_C62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cryptic\_C62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic_C62)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658/20 "2012-11-02T16:54:15Z")
In my mind, the question boils down to this: Would I be happier with two hands, but with the need to support myself financially for the rest of my life? Or would I be happier being completely supported for life, but with only one hand? For me, it’s the first choice. I like to keep busy. Completing projects makes me happy, regardless of whether or not the project results in any money in my pocket. If I didn’t have to work, I would probably end up filling my spare time with non-earning projects, or I would just get bored too quickly and end up going back to work. If I’m going to be busy in either situation, I’d rather be busy with both of my hands. Also, I’m a guitarist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-to-cut-off-your-hand/639658.md?page=2)