Discussion: Tattoos

[Rainey_angel81]

This had me thinking. It was really a random comment made by someone, but I can't stop thinking about it. So I thought about bringing it up for discussion.

Anyway..so I was walking on this test for someone and before she started, because we were discussing something else entirely, she turned to one of the evaluators and said, "I think tattoos are a way for depressed people to express themselves."

Discuss:
What are your thoughts on why someone gets a tattoo?
Do you think that tattooing is another way of self-mutilation?
Why do you think people turn to mutilation or body art rather than other outlets?

If you have a tattoo, discuss:
What made you get a tattoo?
What was your frame of mind when thinking about it?
What was your frame of mind while getting the tattoo?
What design did you pick and why? Does it signify something to you?
Are/Were you prepared to have that tattoo with you for the rest of your life?
Do you think, as an elderly person, you'd be able to look at the tattoo and think the same thing?

In general, discuss:
Do you think that having tattoos or multiple piercings inhibit chances of getting a job?
What do you think when you see someone with a tattoo?
Would you ever get one? (if you haven't already)
What would you get? and why?
Do you think that tattoos are a self-expression or are they too mainstream nowadays?  

[CyrusVillalobo]

i love tattoos x3 im getting 2 more soon x3 also i see tattoos as body modifications x3 id love to date any boy or girl with tattoos x3


tattoos do affect your job in some cases also depending were the tat or pierc is ...  

[Daearen]

I think tattoos are serious business. haha. I think you should get it if it means something to you. I have a high respect for people with such tattoos that have meanings and stories.  

[CyrusVillalobo]

i have one tattoo im gona get to more this weck x3  

[Rainey_angel81]

Ok..it looks like I'll have to be the first to go in deep with this one.


I think that body art can be a self-expression of any type of emotion the person is feeling at the moment...though not always.
Such as someone that has just lost someone close to their heart, such as a child..may feel the need to have a portrait done of them on their bicep, so they may always have them there.
Or someone that is angry at someone, may find a picture of someone smashing a skull open and feel the need to put that on their body so that everyone else may see their anger on them.

I also think that it is a type of self-mutilation. It's almost like a cutter that has all this pent up frustration and as soon as they get it done, there is intense relief.

Do you think that having tattoos or multiple piercings inhibit chances of getting a job?
Tattoos certainly can turn employers off, especially if you are in sales or customer service. To some people, it is definitely an eye sore to see someone with tattoos.


What do you think when you see someone with a tattoo?
I actually really like seeing what tattoos people have gotten..unless it is stars, chinese/japanese characters and flowers. How many people think that those things describe who you are as a person? ....


Would you ever get one? (if you haven't already)
Thought about it and nope. I see the elderly with tattoos and there's so much wrinklage that you can't tell what it is anymore.

What would you get? and why?
Hobbes. Because I would love it always...it's not a passing fling

Do you think that tattoos are a self-expression or are they too mainstream nowadays?
it used to be a sign of self-expression and defiance. since most everyone now has one..you're just part of the herd now  

[L the strawberry lover]

Tattoos have been observed in many cultures around the world for many different reasons. It is believed that the activity of tattooing is more than 5000 years old. Tattoos have been used as rights of passage, proof of identity, group/tribal identity, personal art and many other reasons. Tattoos have been observed in most ancient and modern cultures, including Egypt, Ancienr Rome and Greece, Indonesia, Japan, China, Celtic, New Zealand, Polynesia, Tailand, India, Africa, as well as England and France.

In modern times, people get tattoos for many reasons. It could be a memorial, a preffered design, a mark of identity, or just for fun. I personally have 4 tattoos. The first one is a wolf, and to me it symbolizes my courage and integrity. The second are two rats, which I have in memorial to my pet rats who have passed on. The third is a kitten that I got because I thought it was adorable and I love cats. The last is a lucario, because I've always been a fan of Pokemon and wanted something to show it.

I get very excited when i think about getting new tattoos. I see my body as a canvas and I am always looking for new art to put on it (in easy to hide places, of course.) I am addicted to getting tattoos. I love them. I love what they mean to me, I love their history and I love the guys who tattoo, I've met some pretty cool tattoo artists. For me to be sure I can live with a tattoo forever, I think about how long I've liked the particular animal/design/concept and think about if I will continue to like it in the future. I'll always love wolves, rats and cats, so even if the symbology fades away, at least they are animals I like.

I don't think tattoos and peircings interfere in a job search if you are smart about it. Put your tattoos where you can hide them, take your piercings out at work, or find a tattoo/peircing friendly place to work.

When I see a person with a tattoo, I usually think about what that must mean to them. I usually ask about them when I see ones I particularly like.

I don't think tattoos will ever be too mainstream. They have such a long and diverse history that I doubt humanity will ever outgrow them.  

[Sunegami]

Rainey_angel81

What are your thoughts on why someone gets a tattoo?

Various reasons. The main 2, I think, are self-expression and rebelling against an authority figure.

Rainey_angel81

Do you think that tattooing is another way of self-mutilation?

Personally, no, but technically it could be considered such. I mean, you're injecting ink into your skin. You weren't born with it. Wouldn't that, by definition, count as self-mutilation?

Rainey_angel81

Why do you think people turn to mutilation or body art rather than other outlets?

Partially shock value, I think. I've heard from some of my friends that have tattoos that getting them felt good because they got a shot of endorphins during the process; some people could be addicted to that.

Rainey_angel81

Do you think that having tattoos or multiple piercings inhibit chances of getting a job?

Depends on the field and the interviewer.

Rainey_angel81

What do you think when you see someone with a tattoo?

I wonder what the story behind the tattoo is.

Rainey_angel81

Would you ever get one? (if you haven't already)

No, for several reasons. First and foremost, I'm a wuss; second, I'm too flighty, and could never decide on a tattoo that I'd want on my body for the rest of my life. I'd rather just draw on myself with a pen, or use henna that lasts about a month at most.

Rainey_angel81

What would you get? and why?

If I absolutely had to get a tattoo, it'd probably be an Egyptian scarab. I've always been wildly interested in ancient Egypt & Egyptian mythology (the scarab is the symbol of the god Khepri, who symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and resurrection), so I think the scarab would make a good tattoo for me.

Rainey_angel81

Do you think that tattoos are a self-expression or are they too mainstream nowadays?

I think they're still mostly about self-expression; there are, however, many, many frat boys/sorority whores (disclaimer: if you take offense to the labels, you're not among the ones I'm talking about) walking around with tribal armbands or generic Chinese/Japanese lettering that they can't even read, so for them, it's all about mainstream. And then there are people like my grandfather, who got his forearm tattoo while he was in the Navy after he lost a card game. X3

A friend of mine brought up a really good point about choosing a tattoo: take the design you want, put it in a place where you'll see it every day, and leave it there for at least 6 months. Then, if you still like it, go and get it put on your body, because then you'll know if you will enjoy seeing it on your body. Don't know how accurate that is, but I thought it was a good idea.  

[Garek Maxwell]

Rainey_angel81

Do you think that having tattoos or multiple piercings inhibit chances of getting a job?

Depends on the job, it can enhance a stripper's demand for example. ninja

Rainey_angel81

What do you think when you see someone with a tattoo?

That depends on the person and the tattoo. If the tattoo is generally small and enhances their looks, then I probably wouldn't think less of them. If it covers their entire body...ehhh...then it depends on the tattoo. It'd be a mix of "that's pretty cool!" and "uhhh...why did they DO that?"
However, gender also comes into the equation. If it's a guy who has great tattoos that enhances his appearance than distracts or detracts, then I'd probably be super shy and nervous and stuff as I try to stare without being noticed. x3 ...all other instances revert back to "neutral" though.

Rainey_angel81

Would you ever get one? (if you haven't already)

I'd never get a tattoo. I'm terrified of needles. That's the one thing that keeps me from donating blood, which I feel terrible for being too terrified to do something like that. But yeah, I couldn't ever get a tattoo or a piercing. I'd probably just have clip-ons for piercings. x3

Rainey_angel81

What would you get? and why?

IF I were to get a tattoo, it might be one of those meaningless decorative tattoos like the tribal stuff. Doesn't have to be tribal though, or even meaningless. I just don't ever see myself getting a name, a face, or anything "in the moment" tattooed on myself though. I might, say, get an abstracted image of something that could be...erm... somehow reinterpreted in time if the reason for getting the tattoo changed to being a negative thing in the future, like for a boyfriend who later broke up with me or something. (Though I'm smart enough not to get a tattoo for a boyfriend without being married. Gov may not recognize it, but the ceremony would still happen and in word it would have happened.)

Rainey_angel81

Do you think that tattoos are a self-expression or are they too mainstream nowadays?

Eventually everything will become mainstream and those who attempt to be different and cutting edge are scouted out by companies so that they can stay ahead of the curve and sell this image/look/whatever to larger audiences. There's very little that can be done about it. If it isn't mainstream now, it will be in the future. Temporary/easily removable forms of tattooing would only make it more likely as well.  

[Lunaria Canis]

I'd like to get a tattoo someday, just not at the moment. When I do plan on getting one, I'll want to have it at the small of my back. I don't know which one I'm thinking of getting just yet.  

[Shaviv]

People get tattoos for the same reason (in my view) they get piercings - that is, bodily adornment or to make a statement of some sort, possibly to shock - or, in some circumstances, as a sort of mark of commemoration or respect for someone (e.g., having the name, birth date and death date of a beloved relative).

I wouldn't call tattoos "mutilation", unless they're either really bad or forced upon the bearer, like they used to do in POW camps when a prisoner was suspected of collaboration (a big T on the forehead), or like the ID tattoos we're all familiar with from the Third Reich.

Lessee... Tattoos, like any body ornamentation, may or may not inhibit job-getting. If they're visible, and draw attention to themselves, yeah, they probably will. If you have (let's say) the sacred heart on your back, who's going to know, until/unless you take off your shirt? One of my roomies has unit tattoos on his shoulders from his Army service, same thing.

Most of the time, if I see someone with tattoos I haven't first met, I tend to think: not a person with particularly good judgment, beware. This increases with the visibility of the tattoo, to be honest.

I will never, ever get a tattoo (willingly). First, there's a religious injunction against it. Second, there are health reasons why not (even a good, clean tattoo artist might ******** up and somehow get you infected with someone else's bits). Third, I've been stuck with enough pointy objects not to want to willingly submit to the same.

As for self-expression, I think tattoos are a legit form thereof; but if all you have to express is conformity, that's kind of a waste. neutral  

[Rainey_angel81]

I meant mutilation as in...feeling the relief from the pain. I don't know who has been or ever was a cutter, but the cutting seemed almost like a relief. Trade one pain for another and it cancels the constant ache.

In this case..you're relieving that pain, canceling it and in its place is something beautiful (in some cases)  

[Psycho Lee]

I have considered getting one.

I have an idea to get one of my name in Japanese or Chinese, somewhere on me that can be easily covered by a shirt or suit.  

[Garek Maxwell]

Psycho Lee

I have considered getting one.

I have an idea to get one of my name in Japanese or Chinese, somewhere on me that can be easily covered by a shirt or suit.

When getting anything in an unfamiliar language, always check, double check, and triple check to make sure it's correct. If you have a trustworthy friend who knows the language, ask them if they could either tell you it's correct or write it down for you.

You don't want the Japanese/Chinese equivalent of gringo or something. razz  

[Psycho Lee]

well considering I've actually learned a small part of the Japanese alphabet I'm sure I'd be okay. But I also have an old ex-girlfriend who's fluent in the language.  

[Sunegami]

Garek Maxwell

I'd never get a tattoo. I'm terrified of needles. That's the one thing that keeps me from donating blood, which I feel terrible for being too terrified to do something like that. But yeah, I couldn't ever get a tattoo or a piercing. I'd probably just have clip-ons for piercings. x3

Actually, piercers usually use piercing guns now, and it takes a split second. It does hurt a lot right afterward, but only for a few seconds (at least, in my experience, and I'm very sensitive to pain), and then you're good to go. I'm a wuss, too, so when I got my ears pierced, I had them do both ears at the same time. X3

Rainey_angel81

I meant mutilation as in...feeling the relief from the pain. I don't know who has been or ever was a cutter, but the cutting seemed almost like a relief. Trade one pain for another and it cancels the constant ache.

In this case..you're relieving that pain, canceling it and in its place is something beautiful (in some cases)

I mentioned the endorphin thing in my post, too. Or were you referring to emotional relief, rather than physical?