Tattoos
October 16th, 2011 1 minute read
I recently found that a good friend of mine had two tattoos. I ask her about them and we start talking , she says ” Tattoos aren’t for you, I’m guessing?”
I just never thought about getting a tattoo. So I started asking friends why a tattoo appeals to them.
So here’s a compendium of answers I’ve gotten:
- The sense of design and aesthetic value on your own body
- Beauty. I think this slightly different than design/aesthetic. The appreciation of an elegantly designed website vs that of a painting.
- A expression of some value you believe in; this may be religious, conceptual, or moral.
- A commemoration of important events in your life.
- Cool factor
- It can make a guy look tougher (maybe make girls look tougher as well)
- Significance and attachment with a friend or loved one. This can range from some personal with a friend to a significant other. Though I don’t know anybody who has actually gotten a tattoo for a significant other.
- For the lolz. Story: My friend got a little mustache tattoo on her finger for the amusement factor and the potential downsides being slim (not easily visible, cheaper, more reflective of her personality)
Of course I also asked people why they wouldn’t get a tattoo:
- Issues with self-image about your own body
- Worry about their expensiveness of both acquiring and removing them
- How they would look in the future on aged skin
- Worries about how people would treat them differently if they had a openly visible tattoo
- Lack of confidence in liking something that they would want permanently on their body
- Complete disinterest in it or lack of interest in it (that’s me!).
Of coures the main reason why people who would get tattoos but haven’t is that they haven’t found that design / picture that they wouldn’t mind to have on their body for their life.
Personally, I don’t think I would get a tattoo. I don’t really feel a strong attachment/resonation with any of the ideas above except for the commemoration of important events aspect of it. But I do that anyway.
I keep a journal and I also have a box of small things I’ve kept over the years that remind me of events and important parts and steps in my life. I also believe that this leaves a more lasting legacy than your skin / body.