# Would you rather lose 5 fingers for $100 million, 4 fingers for $10 million or 3 fingers for $1 million? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062 "2020-10-16T00:28:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/1 "2020-10-16T00:28:44Z")
Would you rather lose 3 fingers for $1 million, 4 fingers for $10 million or 5 fingers for $100 million? You can choose which fingers to remove. They’re removed instantly and painlessly. You can’t have them replaced or get prosthetics. The money is tax free. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/2 "2020-10-16T00:32:05Z")
4 for 10M. When are you going to send the check? I‘ll PM you the address~certified only. ---
**Author:** ![JustSaying3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@JustSaying3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustSaying3)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/3 "2020-10-16T00:33:22Z")
You probably have to send the fingers first, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/4 "2020-10-16T00:35:34Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > Would you rather lose 3 fingers for $1 million, 4 fingers for $10 million or 5 fingers for $100 million? Now what in the hell kind of question is that??? 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/5 "2020-10-16T00:51:23Z")
Wow… If I _had_ to choose, then only 3. If I’m _free_ to choose, I give the middle finger to the guy making me the offer. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/6 "2020-10-16T00:51:31Z")
With millions of dollars, why _couldn’t_ you get prosthetics? ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/7 "2020-10-16T00:58:56Z")
It’s a hypothetical and no prosthetics makes the scenario more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/8 "2020-10-16T00:59:34Z")
4 Fingers for $10 million. Can probably still function pretty well without both pinkies and both ring fingers. But I think I would rather keep all my fingers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/9 "2020-10-16T01:01:50Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > With millions of dollars, why _couldn’t_ you get prosthetics? With a hundred million dollars, couldn’t you just get, like, a right-hand man? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/10 "2020-10-16T02:44:08Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > You can choose which fingers to remove. Ok, I go for the 5 fingers for $100 million option. And the fingers I choose to be removed are your fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/11 "2020-10-16T02:44:12Z")
Pass. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life explaining to people that I’m NOT a high school shop teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/12 "2020-10-16T02:52:55Z")
Tough choice. On one hand 4 fingers for 10 mil would have minimal impact on my life while getting me enough money to never work again but its still a major disfigurement while 5 fingers isn’t much more of a disfigurement but is a ton more money. I probably give up the fingers on my left hand for the 100 million. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/13 "2020-10-16T02:55:11Z")
What if I bribed you with a couple million for the option to buy prosthetics? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/14 "2020-10-16T03:01:45Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I probably give up the fingers on my left hand for the 100 million. Really? If I had to lose 5 fingers, it would defnitely be 3 and 2. You can do a hell of a lot with just a finger and thumb, and I think keeping both hands somewhat functional far outweighs have one completely intact hand. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/15 "2020-10-16T03:03:46Z")
I only need a million, I am not greedy. Only if I get to pick the fingers- the three furthest from the thumb, left hand. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/16 "2020-10-16T03:04:56Z")
Yep. I agree that functionality would be higher at 3 and 2 but cosmetically losing a hand is less of a big deal then losing multiple fingers from both hands. Plus there is my love life to think of. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/17 "2020-10-16T03:08:21Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Plus there is my love life to think of. You need an intact hand to hold the perfect red rose that you present when wooing your lover? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/18 "2020-10-16T03:09:51Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > You need an intact hand to hold the perfect red rose that you present when wooing your lover? Yet another example of woman having the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/19 "2020-10-16T04:48:33Z")
The difference between losing 4 and 5 fingers isn’t much; however, the difference between $10 million and $100 million is immense. I think I could get by in life keeping only my thumb and index finger on left hand, and thumb + index + middle on right hand. And retire ASAP with my hundred million. It would mean an end to my piano playing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062/20 "2020-10-16T05:02:20Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > the difference between $10 million and $100 million is immense. In terms of utility, is it though? $10 million for me, conservatively invested, represents at least $250k per year for the rest of my life. I’d really have to _invent_ ways to spend more than that on my own wants and needs. So the _utility_ of the incremental $90 million to me personally is not that great. Of course, it has immense utility as money that could be given away, but I’m not sure if the OP’s intent is that we should think in those terms. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-lose-5-fingers-for-100-million-4-fingers-for-10-million-or-3-fingers-for-1-million/923062.md?page=2)