To me, the need for tatoos and other personal disfigurements signals a search for a remedy of something else lacking. Probably self esteem and general unhappiness. Much like wearing hip designer clothes. Showing you belong.
That is of course just my non-tatooed perspective. I am sure 99 % of those with a tatoo will disagree violently.

That said, a tatoo as such can be very nice and does not have to look trashy at all.

Not a fan of most tattoos at all, but it's your own personal decision. I have seen some that intrigue me like the olympic rings, or air force "wings after some great accomplishment that the wearer has achieved.

We have a friend who seems to enjoy the pain of getting one, so she has random small, blurry tats all over body (including her fingers, and inside her ears), and keeps posting on FB, about how excited she is to get the next tacky one. She won't share what each one means, and gets really offended if we aren't excited about her latest one.

I can't see myself ever wanting a tattoo !

Absolutely. I'm sure there is a story behind every tat. Art is subjective and the canvas can be anything.

I have never felt even the slightest desire for a tattoo on me. Personally it is just like facial piercings or any body piercings. I ain't gonna do it.

Just like people that modify their car in some hideous manner, it is their car, and they can do to it whatever they want.

I can certainly understand a tat of a military platoon or from some near death battle and the bond those soldiers have when they faced down the danger together. I don't have those experiences.

Facial tattoos to me is something I will judge that person as a little bit stupid, or a lot stupid for implants and heavy tats on the face. I still don't really care what they did to themselves, it is their life and their body, as long as I don't have to pay for the choice, go for it.

So I have a mixed view that does not fit the vote choice. The can be really stupid, but they can be part of an honor.

Isn't the sum of all 'traits' what a perception is? If it walks like a duck....

If the duck strips off a duck costume and you see a chicken, then your original perception is not at fault.

Most of the older Navy guys with tats .... their tats had nothing to do with their service...

More about being young, drunk, and stooopid.

When I was that age .... after a Friday happy hour... a few college buds & I had our ears pierced by one of them's wife (worked in a place) for free. Unplanned, just seemed like the thing to do ;). I kept it in about six months. Just as dumb as some of my former Navy buds were ... but much easier to fix than Fread's ;).

Yes, but in your example it's only one trait. If you saw me in short sleeves would you immediately make the assumption that I'm trash without talking or letting me buy you a cup of coffee?

Get to know the person beyond the tattoos or piercings or big ugly wing on the car, you might be surprised. I know a crap-ton of highly paid successful individuals in a variety of fields that have ink on them somewhere, sometimes hidden sometimes not, none of them I'd consider trash, sometimes their *********s, but who isn't on occasion.

There are trashy tats, and true works of art, and the reasons people get them are their own - I could only speak to my reasoning. Like everything, we all seem to take our cues from the wrong end of the spectrum and assume the worst.

Perspectives also change, 30 years ago I didn't want one; 5 years ago I changed my mind when I started seeing the better quality work that's out there. I'm old enough to know and accept the decision.

I frankly don't even really notice, unless the tattoo is on the neck or face, tattoos have become so ubiquitous.

I do have a question, although I could probably just look it up: What does an extensive tattoo cost, like the "sleeves" I see.? Some really are amazing.

My experience, artists I know are all hourly anywhere from $100 - $250 per, so it depends on how much time you spend sitting in the chair which is directly related to the complexity of the work. Full sleeves seem to run in the 12-16 hour range, some more some less depending on depth, complexity, etc.

You'll pay for quality work in money and commitment, not many people can/want to, which is why there are so many poor quality examples.

Looks like poo, and pretty much meaningless + unoriginal anymore.

A visible tat is one trait, just like the duck suit. We're not talking haircuts or style of clothes here, or any other multiples.

Before this goes ay further, we need some definitions:

Trait

Perception

...or

Observation

Pre conceived notion

...or?

Impression

Judgement

Don't read too much into this. We all look at this subject differently.

People constantly judge others based on their choices (but that opinion may change once other factors are known. Whether it is an expensive sleeve of tats or wearing a Louis Vuitton purse and pink crocks...or gold chains and a Corvette. Folks that make choices that you would never make are often regarded as "different." That can be good or bad depending on perspective. Some see "body art" as expensive self-mutilation...and others see it as art. I suspect most folks with tats recoil when they see some other folks extensive body art as well...so it is just a matter of degree.

Would you suspect the judgement of these folks due to their choices (without knowing any more about them)? If so, then you are not different (it is just a matter of degree):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630423331.JPG

Looking at it one way.
Me, Myself & I had a conversation when young, before hair loss and current pear shaped body.
Me; what about a Tat?
Myself; my body is like the Greek God Adonis, why would I deface it?
I; agree with that.

Mostly I don't care, I am far too non committal for them myself. I think a colorful "sleeve" looks good on the waify rocker-chick type sometimes. I noticed a few olympic circles on some of the tokyo Olympians which I totally get, a symbol of absolute dedication to being best in the world at something.

I do sometimes snicker a bit at cheesy butterflies on girls or tribal arm bands on dudes.

Right. It feels like some folks are trying to hard to be cool or "in."

Maybe that's just because I've never much been concerned with either.

Teeny bopping disco queen
She barely understands her dreams of belly button rings
And other kinds of things
Symbolic of change, but the thing that is strange
Is that the changes occur
And now she's just a part of the herd
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Man I thought that you heard
Yeah, yeah
The changes occurred
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Just a part of the herd
Indifferent either way here, whatever floats your boat .

Is your memory that bad? Wouldn't a picture hanging on the wall serve the same purpose...why does it need to be on your skin?

As a point of reference, my nephew has a palm-sized geometric symbol on his shoulder blade. It's just a line drawing, no color, and it cost him a little over $300.

People will say that getting tattooed is an expression of their personal style and that they shouldn't be judged by their choices. But let's stand back a minute and look at the bigger picture. If I should decide to express my personal style by wearing a toilet seat around my neck, how do you think people would view that choice?
Much of this body 'art' that people have permanently adorned themselves with is in the same league as that toilet seat. "WTF were they thinking?" usually comes to mind when I see some guy with the Creature From the Black Lagoon inked on his arm, or a woman with the phrase "I'm the Devil in Disguise" tattooed prominently across her upper chest.

There once was a time when tattoos helped folks stand out a bit from the masses. Now, they seem show just how far people are willing to go to follow the herd.

I think there is a happy medium to tats. I've told my daughter that for women inside wrist, small behind the ear, small on back of neck, and small on ankle are ok. Everything else starts getting gross.

Not a fan of neck, hands and just way too much all over body.

There's a host on HGTV that went from this:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630446833.jpg

To this with Panthers or something on his neck.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630446893.jpg

Thanks and I agree with your second point.

Tattoos are an interesting topic to me because they evoke an interesting range of opinions.

I personally don’t think they are much of a harbinger of any particular personality traits unless on the face or neck.

But even that is an odd demarcation.

I had a very successful business owner tell me that he always tried to look at the the cars of people he was interviewing to hire.

He said that is the best indicator of character.

I don’t agree but I always thought that was an interesting observation.