OK. A variation on a theme. You are 40 years old.

[My Pet Orangutan]

If a DNA test could show that Dad was not your dad, would you want to know?

[dewsgirl]

1. No.

[My Pet Orangutan]

2. But they may have hidden from you

that you were adopted. Mom was forced to give you up.

Still no?

[dewsgirl]

7. I'm a terrible example for this, I probably shouldn't have

replied. My mom passed away when I was 13, my dad was both mom and dad for me until he passed away 10 years ago when I was 34. I can't imagine a better father in the world, and wouldn't want to.
Sorry if I messed up your thread.😬

[My Pet Orangutan]

9. My thread may appear cold ...

my supposition is that people automatically blame the mother, but life is more complicated.

A single mother has a child, then meets a man who embraces her, and loves the child as his own. But they make the mistake of not telling their son or daughter.

Would he or she want to know? I would love my Dad even more knowing that.

[RussellCattle]

14. I wouldn't assume that not telling was "making a mistake".

[dewsgirl]

18. Oh I wasn't insinuating it was cold at all. My situation

was just very different than your average situation. I couldn't imagine having loved my parents or feeling any differently about them if I did learn they weren't my biological parents.
Although I didn't have them for as long as many others, the time I did have I wouldn't trade for anything.

[RussellCattle]

3. Hank Hill's neighbor Dale Gribble seems to be peacefully ignorant about his son Joseph so .....

.....I'd probably want to go with that.

[Mr.Bill]

4. Yes. Mainly for medical reasons.

When I started having regular physicals about five years ago, I was surprised to find out how much my family's medical history had to to with guiding my doctor's management of my wellness. What kind of things we should be looking out for at what age, what kind of tests are appropriate for my age, what dietary changes should be made, etc.

I'm undecided about whether I would want to meet him, although that may be necessary to discuss his medical history. I would also be curious about the reason for him not being involved in my life. That story would have a lot to say about how much I would want him to be involved in my life now. I would like to think it would not have to alter my relationship with the man I have always called dad, either.

[marie999]

5. No

[My Pet Orangutan]

6. No?

You were adopted and they never told you. Your birth mother has been struggling with grief all her life.

Still no?

[marie999]

10. My mother died of cancer when I was 23.

My father died from heart disease when I was 31. Even if I had been adopted and didn't find out until they had both died, they were my mother and father.

[My Pet Orangutan]

11. Sorry.

Thank you for sharing.

[marie999]

21. My older sister died of cancer when I was 56.

Of all my blood relatives, all my grandparents were dead, my parents were dead, my only sibling was dead, all my aunts were dead, all my uncles were dead, and 2 of my younger cousins were dead before my 57th birthday. I have reached the age of 72, an age that no other blood relative of mine ever reached. I do have one cousin a year younger than me whose mother married into our family and lived to be 100 years old so my cousin may end up outliving me. But I have a husband, 5 children, 9 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, plus 5 dogs, 2 cats, 5 chickens, 1 turkey, and 1 goat, and all of the animals share 3/4 of an acre.

[stillcool]

8. I don't think I'd care...

my mom died when I was a year old, and my Dad was washed up, so I ended up bouncing around with different relatives, living everywhere and nowhere. When I was in my 30's, I saw the first photograph I'd ever seen of my mother. That was indescribable.

[Retrograde]

12. This sounds like a topic for the Lounge (n/t)

[My Pet Orangutan]

13. cf.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15036672

[JI7]

15. No, unless there was good reason to know

usually something health related where knowing would help save someone's life.

[Celerity]

16. absolutely nt

[LeftInTX]

17. It would depend on the circumstances

I would not take the test if I did not want to know.

Sometimes, discoveries are made by accident.

[Mossfern]

19. My dad is long gone,

so is my mom. Hypothetically I'd think that my straight laced mom had a fling ... cool. Doesn't really matter whose DNA I have except for medical reasons. I'm 72 years old, so that really doesn't come into play by now either. To quote Popeye "I yam whats I yam."

[Silent3]

20. Of course. And I'm amazed about how many people prefer avoiding the truth

Learning a new biological fact shouln't take anything away from who you think your "real" parents in terms of the emotional value of those relationships.

Preferring not to have what might turn out to be a comfortable illusion disrupted reveals what I consider an alarming preference for ignorance.

[FreeState]

22. DNA shows genetic inheritance

My Dad would still be my Dad. I’d want to know.

[Generic Brad]

23. That would be pointless since I looked exactly like my dad

My uncles kind of repulsed my mother. No test needed for me, thanks.

[My Pet Orangutan]

26. IF

If a DNA test could show ...

[Buckeye_Democrat]

24. Yes.

I prefer the facts, and then I'll decide what to do with them. I'm sure that I'd still view my father as my father, biological or not. And I'd have my mind absolutely blown by my mother's behavior in that scenario. You'd have to know her to understand the shock of it.

It was always extremely unlikely given that me and most of my siblings inherited an extremely RARE genetic condition, passed down from a faulty gene from both parents.

Then we all had our DNA analyzed years ago by Harvard to help locate the faulty gene. Full genomic tests for all of us -- Mom, Dad and all five of their kids-- not just the sampling done by commercial testers.

[KentuckyWoman]

25. Maybe

If Dad had really crappy genetics that are hereditary, I'd want to know if I share the same genetics.

That's a whole other thing than parentage tho....