Anyone else anti-tatoo?

[JessicaR]

Or as it says on my son's tattoo (that prompted this thread); Live Free or Die.

Ahh ha! I couldnt figure out what the big deal was about! Thank you.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

When I see a person with a tattoo my first thought is “Ah, a person who wishes to express their individuality by doing exactly what other people are doing”.

As opposed to people who express their individuality HOW? There are billions of people on the earth. Not all of us can be special snowflakes.

 

[phorsenuf]

Ahh ha! I couldnt figure out what the big deal was about! Thank you.

Yes, because I started a thread where I shared a picture of his tattoo. I thought it was cool. Oh well.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

The OP's father meant that YOUR BODY is a Bentley. It's perfectly designed and beautiful -- as is. He meant, just as you wouldn't deface an expensive, valuable car with a tacky bumper sticker that reflects something you believe in today, you should not deface your body with something that'll decrease its value. I like his analogy.

Yeah, I got it. I'm not six, thanks. I thought it was a dumb analogy, so I responded. As far as your body decreasing in value, I was under the impression that selling it was illegal.

What your missing is the difference between having an opinion of tattoos and making judgments about people who have them.

No one can "make you feel bad" about your appearance.

That is SO easy to say until you've dealt with it How do you think it feels to be holding a note and a $50 Monopoly bill that was in your Valentine's Day card envelope that says "I asked 50 people to give me a dollar if they thought you were ugly and this is what I got"?? NOOOO... nobody else can make you feel bad about your appearance. I'm glad your self-esteem is so high, but I'm going err on the side of caution and not be mean to people because of the way they look

"Twilight" tattoos, anyone?

I don't see why that's so weird. I have wanted a tattoo of the jedi logo on my ankle for at least ten years now. Like I said, I'm terrified of needles. But if I ever got it, I know that I'd still be happy with it when I was 80. I'm been a Star Wars fan longer than I haven't.

So you actually vomit when you see people walking down the street in tattoos. You must be awfully dehydrated.

Yes, because I started a thread where I shared a picture of his tattoo. I thought it was cool. Oh well.

It was cool. What isn't cool is people's attitudes toward those who are different or who like different things.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

When I see a person with a tattoo my first thought is “Ah, a person who wishes to express their individuality by doing exactly what other people are doing”.

Or people could not care at all about being an "individual" and just think the tattoo is neat or pretty or means something to them and in 100 years it won't matter what they did or didn't get on their body.

 

[legalsea]

As opposed to people who express their individuality HOW? There are billions of people on the earth. Not all of us can be special snowflakes.

I think each person expresses his or her individuality simply by being themselves. Each person has their own unique personality, moods, laughter, sorrows, etc.

I can call to mind people I met just once, many years ago, simply due to the brief impression they made on me. I guess if a person has a 'zero' personality, then a startling tattoo would be helpful in people remembering them.

 

[declansdad]

I love my tattoo! I know not everyone will like it - that's OK, they don't have to! It's on my body and it's nothing to do with them!

I think everyone has a right to their opinion, but I think people should be honest. There is a difference between having an opinion and judging someone, and what some people are doing on this thread is judgmental. The posts I've appreciated most are the ones where people have actually said "I admit I judge people with tattoos!" At least they're being honest.

Oh, and I know I'll still love it at 80. It might not look so hot, but neither will the rest of me! It will still mean something to me. A lot of people have tattoos to remember something or someone, not just because they look good and that meaning will still be there.

Excellent post!

Personally, I don't care what people think if they see my tattoos. They are normally covered but I didn't get them for other people, I got them for me. It also had nothing to do with fitting in, looking cool, or having low self-esteem.

 

[Liberty Belle]

For me? Yes. For others? I think that they make others less attractive and it could cost them a job opportunity, but it is none of my business what they do with their bodies. I certainly don't think they are any less (anything) than me for choosing to get tattoos or piercings. If anything, maybe I am less open minded than them for refusing.

That's how I feel. Yes. they do turn me off, but I certainly don't feel superior to anyone just because they have tatoos.

 

[luvsJack]

Hey Ya'll do know that your food service workers that have no tats and no piercings could be drug users and have hep too; right??? The guy with the tat is no more likely to have hep than anyone else. In fact of the three people I know that have had some type of hep NONE of them even have a tat or had one done recent enough for that to be the issue.

Tattoos are a way for one to express oneself. That's it. Nothing more. Either they want to express something extremely meaningful (like their kids names or ds's brotherhood symbol that he got together with his 3 best friends), semi-meaningful (like someone who is passionate about Disney getting a mickey head) or just that its something they like to look at(a butterfly that looked good on someone else) but regardless they are expressing themselves FOR themselves. Absolutly no reason to judge them in any way. It doesn't make them any more likely to BE anything. It doesn't make them any more likely to NOT BE anything. Its just a way to express one's self. That's it.

 

[legalsea]

Or people could not care at all about being an "individual" and just think the tattoo is neat or pretty or means something to them and in 100 years it won't matter what they did or didn't get on their body.

Exactly. Many people obviously care little about their own personality. Well put.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Exactly. Many people obviously care little about their own personality. Well put.

I said people don't care about being an "individual" by getting tattoos. What does finding something pretty or sentimental have anything to do with not having a personality?

 

[monkeybug]

I personally don't find tattoos attractive, and I think there are some people who get them because they have a desire to be "cool", but it's their body and personally I could care less what they choose to do with it.
My SIL has tattoos everywhere, on her neck, her back, her ankle, her arms. I do think it has limited her career choices (she is a trained chef, working in a bar deep frying mozzarella sticks...of course it could have nothing to do with the tattoos, it could be she's not a very good chef.), and I think that covering your body in tattoos may not be a great decision if you don't have the money to go to the really good places...some of SIL's tattoos look kinda' wonky and don't seem to have much personal meaning. I think she has low self esteem and wants to appear like a "tough girl" but that's her own separate issue, and I certainly don't think everyone who gets a tattoo is suffering the same infliction.
My brother however is a writer and he has an old fashioned quill tattooed on his arm and then a quote about writing in Latin. I actually think it's pretty cool (maybe wish he had put it on a t-shirt instead of his arm...) and he paid a lot of money to go to "the" place to get it done.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Wanted to add that I do think they're kind of neat if it's for a sentimental reason or to mark an important point in someone's journey, etc. I just think they're silly when they have no real meaning.

 

[phorsenuf]

Exactly. Many people obviously care little about their own personality. Well put.

I disagree. My sons tattoo has everything to do with his personality. The new tattoo he got represents his childhood. He lived most of his live so far in NH and to him that will always be home. It's where his family is and his best friends. It was that place that shaped him the way he is. The Grateful Dead symbol also defines him. He grew up listening to the Grateful Dead and he will always associate that music with his childhood and his family. As a musician as well this is the music that influences him.

His other tattoo, he got in honor of his big brother who he adores and is very proud of. It's a special bond that he and his brother has. I personally think it's a very nice thing. I'm sure when the time is right and he knows the exact thing he'll get 2 more. One for each of his other brothers.

I see them one way, others another, but it saddens me that people judge first.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Hey Ya'll do know that your food service workers that have no tats and no piercings could be drug users and have hep too; right??? The guy with the tat is no more likely to have hep than anyone else. In fact of the three people I know that have had some type of hep NONE of them even have a tat or had one done recent enough for that to be the issue.

Not only that, but people who don't have tattoos can just easily spit in one's food, pee without washing his or her hands, and drop a burger on the floor and still serve as someone who does. This whole food service argument doesn't make much sense to me.

Tattoos are a way for one to express oneself. That's it. Nothing more. Either they want to express something extremely meaningful (like their kids names or ds's brotherhood symbol that he got together with his 3 best friends), semi-meaningful (like someone who is passionate about Disney getting a mickey head) or just that its something they like to look at(a butterfly that looked good on someone else) but regardless they are expressing themselves FOR themselves. Absolutly no reason to judge them in any way. It doesn't make them any more likely to BE anything. It doesn't make them any more likely to NOT BE anything. Its just a way to express one's self. That's it.

Very well said

 

[locolala]

I'm with the OP: My first reaction to any tattoo is YUCK. Doesn't matter whether it's large or small, discrete or not -- YUCK. Some are worse than others, of course, but I have yet to see one I like. The OP's father meant that YOUR BODY is a Bentley. It's perfectly designed and beautiful -- as is. He meant, just as you wouldn't deface an expensive, valuable car with a tacky bumper sticker that reflects something you believe in today, you should not deface your body with something that'll decrease its value. I like his analogy.

So, you won't get pregnant because it might deface your body when you get stretchmarks? That would definately bring down the value of your body if tattoos will. And yes, there is some measure of sarcasm in there. Do you also not wear makeup, do your hair, etc? You believe your body is perfect the way it is, so why should you change it?

 

[tinatark]

I don't care for them for myself or my family. I tend to "judge" when I see a "jailhouse" one - you know the ones, the lines are thick, fuzzy looking, or someone with many visible ones.

On some people, it does look like the people with them are just trying to stay with the current trend - tattoo-ing. A friend's daughter is about to start her 2nd year of college - has 10 or 11 tattoos - she wants to be a teacher. How many times have you seen a bride in a beautiful gown, with a tattoo showing, either on the shoulderblades or ummm, thinking of a DIS friendly way to say it - peeking out the neckline of the dress - those are both gross, to me.

LOL @ the poster judging people who judge people with tattoos!

Oh, and an interesting fact - the teens/adults in Steven Curtis Chapman's family all (except one, I think his oldest daughter) got tattoos in memory of their daughter killed in an accident, Maria.

 

[disfan07]

one of my professors from this past spring has a couple of tatoos....but all of the guys in my class also considered her to be the hottest teacher in the school.

We all knew about the ones on the top of her foot and on her ankle because we could see those but she also had a large one on her upper back that was covered up at work most of the time.

Now, I don't understand the appeal of tatoos...at least not for me. But, I don't care what other people do. I know a lot of people who have 1 or 2 tatoos and they are not visible at all. The only time it really turns me off is when there are multiple visible ones or like covered in tatoos. At that point i think it becomes really trashy looking...JMO

 

[Tomader]

I am not a tattoo person. I think for older women it looks trashy. When your in your 20's it's "cute." When you get older not so cute! Men?? Not what I like but better on them than women.

 

[disykat]

So you actually vomit when you see people walking down the street in tattoos. You must be awfully dehydrated.

Tatoos turn my stomach too. I get a physical revulsion reaction. I think one could safetly say that is "making me physically ill" which is what the person you quoted said. I'm not sure why it upsets you so much that some people find tatoos gross. It just is what it is. Some people like them and some people don't.