If you found out your spouse was your sibling...

JoNightshade · Jan 16, 2008

...what would you do?

This is inspired by the age-difference thread over in the novel forums. I'm curious to see what people think they would do if this issue came up.

And I'm talking FULL sibling here, not half. You were separated at birth.

althrasher · Jan 16, 2008

Since I don't have a spouse, (and I DO have a brother,) I'd have to say...

RUN.

Very fast in an opposite direction.

And spend a lot of money on Listerine.

maestrowork · Jan 16, 2008

I don't know. Let me ask my twin...

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

JoNightshade said:
...what would you do?

Wonder why my kids turned out so pretty and not a bunch of buck-toothed bettys playing banjos on the bayou. That's what.

SpookyWriter · Jan 16, 2008

maestrowork said:
I don't know. Let me ask my twin...

Hands on the table when you say that....hahahahaaaaa.....

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

maestrowork said:
I don't know. Let me ask my twin...

Oh. You would just love to marry yourself, wouldn't you, Narcissus! No wonder you were banned from mirrors.

Angelinity · Jan 16, 2008

JoNightshade said:
...what would you do?

This is inspired by the age-difference thread over in the novel forums. I'm curious to see what people think they would do if this issue came up.

And I'm talking FULL sibling here, not half. You were separated at birth.

loaded scenario. what would you do?

Bubastes · Jan 16, 2008

Didn't this actually happen in the UK? I thought I read a recent news article about this scenario. Twins separated at birth or something.

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

MeowGirl said:
Didn't this actually happen in the UK?

Honey, everything happens in the UK.

My-Immortal · Jan 16, 2008

MeowGirl said:
Didn't this actually happen in the UK?

Yes. They got their marriage annulled. I don't have a link - I'm sure someone could come up with it though...

Judg · Jan 16, 2008

That scenario turned up in the Silmarillion.

I would be too stunned to know what to do. Would probably have to go away somewhere to think about the whole thing.

Why do you ask?

Silver King · Jan 16, 2008

This happened in Britain recently between twins that were separated at birth. They had been married for a while before the discovery was made, through blood work, I think. They were seeking an annulment.

ETA: MeowGirl beat me to it.

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

Judg said:
That scenario turned up in the Silmarillion.

I would be too stunned to know what to do. Would probably have to go away somewhere to think about the whole thing.

Why do you ask?

Because we have just found out that you are married to your brother. You better tell the kids and theys Daddy-Uncle.

Judg · Jan 16, 2008

OK, here's the link: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7978185

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

Silver King said:
This happened in Britain recently between twins that were separated at birth. They had been married for a while before the discovery was made, through blood work, I think. They were seeking an annulment.

OOKie. Do you think they consummated?

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

Judg said:
OK, here's the link: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7978185

I will not click it. I will not click it.

Judg · Jan 16, 2008

KTC said:
Because we have just found out that you are married to your brother. You better tell the kids and theys Daddy-Uncle.

LOL! I will have to get a picture of my husband and my brother side-by-side so you can fully appreciate the absurdity of that!

Maryn · Jan 16, 2008

FWIW, The Kid was an anthro minor quite recently, and learned that the "truism" of genetic mutation from makin' babies with close relatives is not nearly as true as science long thought. IIRC, she said the likelihood of cousins producing a damaged baby was right about the same as non-cousins.

I don't know about siblings, just thought I'd toss that in.

Maryn, whose brother isn't nearly so terrific as Mr. Maryn

KTC · Jan 16, 2008

Maryn said:
FWIW, The Kid was an anthro minor quite recently, and learned that the "truism" of genetic mutation from makin' babies with close relatives is not nearly as true as science long thought. IIRC, she said the likelihood of cousins producing a damaged baby was right about the same as non-cousins.

I don't know about siblings, just thought I'd toss that in.

Maryn, whose brother isn't nearly so terrific as Mr. Maryn

Do not shatter the stereotype, Missy. You want all the sibling AWers to start making babies! THINK, DAMMIT!

JoNightshade · Jan 16, 2008

Angelinity said:
loaded scenario. what would you do?

I'd stay married. I'd want to adopt rather than having children (although what someone said is true-- risks of genetic problems are not great unless you do this for a couple of generations), but I don't think it would bother me that much. If we'd had totally different childhoods and upbringings, then the only thing that marked us as siblings would be our genes.

I think it's sad that two people would let something like that ruin a marriage.

Silver King · Jan 16, 2008

KTC said:
OOKie. Do you think they consummated?

I'm sure they did and enjoyed it thoroughly at the time. It was only later when they may have felt a twinge of disgust.

I can't fathom the odds of those two, separated at birth, raised by different families, then meeting as adults, only to fall in love and get married. It's tragic and pretty damn sad.

Angelinity · Jan 16, 2008

JoNightshade said:
I'd stay married. I'd want to adopt rather than having children (although what someone said is true-- risks of genetic problems are not great unless you do this for a couple of generations), but I don't think it would bother me that much. If we'd had totally different childhoods and upbringings, then the only thing that marked us as siblings would be our genes.

I think it's sad that two people would let something like that ruin a marriage.

you're brave.

JoNightshade · Jan 16, 2008

Angelinity said:
you're brave.

Not brave. I just honestly don't get what the big deal is.

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 16, 2008

OMG!!!! What if his family (the one he grew up with) was also really my biological family????? :e2faint:

I don't wanna have Dysfunction Junction stamped on my birth certificate!!!

I would look for the tallest cliff I could find and fling myself over it!!!

Angelinity · Jan 16, 2008

JoNightshade said:
Not brave. I just honestly don't get what the big deal is.

it is because (even secretely) we desire to fit into the society-at-large and society-at-large does not accept in-breeding.
society at large would frown upon it -- sibling-couples would be immediately and irrevocably shunned.
sibling couples would not endure except whithin their own little world which would itself crumble in the absence of acceptance by society-at-large.

If you found out your spouse was your sibling...

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