Baby born with 12 fingers, 12 toes...all fully formed and functioning!

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu

I actually don't think this is a valid argument.

As ILoveMyAKA pointed out, the home keys on a QWERTY keyboard are set up for four fingers plus the thumb. There isn't room for a fifth finger. On the left hand, that finger would be over the caps lock key! And how would the poor kid even learn to type? Normal typing classes are set up for five fingered people - remember the color coding? And who would come up with a way to type with six fingers so they could teach the kid?

For a musical instrument, I know at least the guitar and piano beginners' books are all numbered for the fingers, 1 through 4. That's just how they're taught. And it wouldn't help to have a sixth finger for the strings or the brass instruments.

I just think this kid would end up feeling very, very different and left out if he keeps the sixth finger. Can you imagine how you'd feel if a girl recoiled when she saw your hands? I think a lot of people would be creeped out, at least initially. Or - this is silly - what about gloves? Would the kid be more likely to have carpal tunnel, since there's more muscles and tendons to be irritated? If the kid got to be 30 and decided he wanted the extra digits removed, could he do it? Would he be able to find a doctor who would agree to remove fingers that had been fully functional for 30 years? Would the recovery time take forever, and would he need live-in help for that time since you can't do ANYTHING without your hands?

And his toes. He'd have to look for special shoes with a huge toe box. He couldn't ever wear sandals because people would stare and make him feel uncomfortable. He'd feel bad at the beach when he was unavoidably barefoot and his sixth toes are on display and suddenly that's what everyone's talking about.

I think they should remove the extra digits.

The majority of your reasons have to do with self-esteem. I don't believe that's a good enough reason if, in fact, the extra digits could be useful and are fully functional (and they are).