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That doesn't sound bad, Liz. I do recall my oldest nephew wanting a tattoo at about 15 or 16 of his girlfriend's name at the time. It's a mistake when you're older but a really bad one at that age. I know some people who got a tattoo of their child's heartbeat pattern when they were born or whatever the correct term is on their body somewhere. I'd have trouble finding anything wrong with that. Would get a rare "aww" from me.
 
This has always been the case with tattoos. This isn't new. You are seeing more of them now though due to social media, google, and things like forums. This really hasn't changed at all. You can find horrible, bad designed, or badly executed tattoos long before they were ever considered mainstream.

I have not heard of anyone thinking tattoo's will somehow raise your personal worth. Doesn't mean it isn't out there, but I haven't heard of it or scene it and I am around a lot of folks with tattoos. A lot. Maybe someone who is looking for attention due to having a tattoo? Don't know, this one is new to me.

There could arise some sort of compulsion to perfect the ornamentation of one's body... similar to what plastic surgeons sometimes have to wrestle with in someone who appears to have become addicted to serial cosmetic improvements: not knowing when to quit. I would think a responsible (and talented) tattoo artist might try to dissuade a potential or returning customer from wanting to go down some road that strikes the artist as either extremely questionable or just... ugly. If they've become serial tattoo experience addicts, then try to take it small and subtle...

"How about a tiny lightning bolt instead? Right over the snake's head? It would add some zing to that scene on your arm... could do it in a kind of sapphire color... special lightning... a really unique look."
Who wants to be the creator of a unique overlay of a Model T Ford atop a beach scene with mermaids winkling ashore on the guy's torso? Sure one doesn't want to get into psychotherapy but could tell the guy that one is pretty sure that a mermaid riding in a Model T is just really inauthentic whereas snakes might fairly often get tagged by lightning bolts from the blue. A fan of mermaids and snakes, hey, anything subtle could be sold in as pretty special.
 
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Congrats, you have a personal preference. But tattoos aren't a "new fad" by any stretch of the imagination, they're part of many cultures around the world, including many in America.
Fad meaning the wide spread adoption of the concept compared to norms. I’m fine with the cutural significance that it has for many cultures as it as a connected meaning to me. The new fad aspect is those who decide todo it because it’s ‘cool’.

I've tattooed more than my share of doctors, business people (My uncle included), lawyers, hell even tattooed a local politician.
They wouldn’t be my doctor or lawyer though.
It's cool that you don't appreciate them, but can you be less condescending to those who do.
It’s not only that I disapprove of them but I would question the judgement of those who would get them to make such an outward, permanent statement. I consider that a path of recklessness to which I simply don’t trust their judgement. If that’s condescending then tough.
 
I mean Attic Greek :) I haven’t thought much about what it’d say; it would take me forever to decide on something good. My indecisiveness would be more of a barrier to getting a tattoo than anything else.

There’s also Hittite :D
 
My son has been trying to decide for ten years (at least). I figure at this rate he'll either never get a tattoo, or follow in my footsteps and be in his 50s before first ink.
 
I don't have any tattoo but I don't hate someone who has lots of tattoos. It is a form of body art so ignore the judgment of those people who find them ugly.
 
Not fan of permanent body tattoos but love Inkmaster. For someone who cannot even draw a convincing stick man, I admire the artistry of those that can tattoo. Most inking is awful it has to be said. C- in art school at best.

If I got a tattoo, it would be text in an ancient language, like Sanskrit, Latin, or Greek,

Those are the worst. Body slogans and extra points deducted for foreign scripts. Those Chinese symbols that really say "ugly monkey face" and not some trite life-affirming cliché the wearers thought they were getting.

Ulitmately we are heading towards looks like this now that sleeves and neck and face tattoos are getting commonplace

30894087_199538740681771_3115846147290169344_n.jpg

That is going to be one hell of a job to cover up when he gets tired of it.
 
I love them! I have 12 piercings (stretched lobes, industrials, tongue, stretched septum and stretched nipples) but only 1 tattoo so far. :( I've got my next 2 drawn up though!
[doublepost=1530782661][/doublepost]
Hollywood loves plastic, they can afford it.
I don't know what Hollywood has to do with tattoos... and you don't seriously believe tattoos are made from plastic, do you?
 
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Those are the worst. Body slogans and extra points deducted for foreign scripts. Those Chinese symbols that really say "ugly monkey face" and not some trite life-affirming cliché the wearers thought they were getting.

Well thanks but no thanks for your opinion :)
I’m a linguist (in training), not an idiot; I can read those scripts, so I would know what it said and it wouldn’t be a “cliché” either. It would be something you wouldn’t understand ;)
 
I've never had any. Nor do I have my ears pierced which I've heard is unusual for a girl.

I don't care if other people have them but in certain professional settings, I can see why they wouldn't be favored. Appearance can be very vital to a brand or company.
 
I love them! I have 12 piercings (stretched lobes, industrials, tongue, stretched septum and stretched nipples) but only 1 tattoo so far. :( I've got my next 2 drawn up though!
[doublepost=1530782661][/doublepost]
I don't know what Hollywood has to do with tattoos... and you don't seriously believe tattoos are made from plastic, do you?

I was replying to the post above mine.
 
I love them! I have 12 piercings (stretched lobes, industrials, tongue, stretched septum and stretched nipples) but only 1 tattoo so far. :( I've got my next 2 drawn up though!
[doublepost=1530782661][/doublepost]
I don't know what Hollywood has to do with tattoos... and you don't seriously believe tattoos are made from plastic, do you?

I also love piercings. I'm fighting with myself now about one of those tiny little nose jewels. They're barely noticeable. But is it professional?
 
Well thanks but no thanks for your opinion :)
I’m a linguist (in training), not an idiot; I can read those scripts, so I would know what it said and it wouldn’t be a “cliché” either. It would be something you wouldn’t understand ;)

Linguist here, too. Don't assume. ;)
 
I mean Attic Greek :) I haven’t thought much about what it’d say; it would take me forever to decide on something good. My indecisiveness would be more of a barrier to getting a tattoo than anything else.

There’s also Hittite :D
I'm not terribly familiar with it. Only Latin and Koine were taught when I was a lad. Though I think the latter has fallen out of favor. In any case I would look for something meaningful or have something translated by an expert, such as a professor. Probably get it somewhere that isn't easily seen. There are some beautiful scriptures that I'm sure existed during the Attic period, too, albeit in another form.
 
I've got quite a few tattoos and love every one of them and continue to add more on a fairly regular basis. Ultimately, I get them because I like them and they have meaning to me, and I don't really care much if other people like them or not ;)

I don't have any below my elbows or above my chest so when I'm "suited and booted" you'd never know I had them
 
I'm aware that tattoos have become very popular for many reasons.
I can remember growing up and being told that tattoos were for military men and criminal types/prisoners. Women just didn't have them unless they were 'bad'. So much for conditioning.

I waited until I was about to turn 40 to get my first one. I'm glad I waited so long. I might have regretted getting one in my youth with the way I saw and thought of the world back then.

So, when I decided to finally get one, I researched. I read. I went to actual libraries and looked at books... The internet was a new thing then.

I came up with ideas of what I wanted, found an artist, and got it done.
One large one on my upper left arm.
I had another artist do the second on on my upper right arm.
I can keep them covered when needed.

I see a lot of crap ink jobs. I see lots of beautiful art too. It's certainly not unique anymore.
 
They wouldn’t be my doctor or lawyer though.

Can you say for sure that your doctor, or lawyer, doesn't have any tattoos? Is this something you try to ascertain before entering into a relationship with any professional? I guess you'd have to have seen them both naked to be able to tell for certain. Which, I guess, would be possible at a sauna, nudist colony or something like that. Just wondering.

And if you somehow found out that your trusted doctor of many years had a tattoo hidden somewhere, would that somehow diminish his (proven) professionalism as a doctor?
 
For the record, I was asking about generally having tattoos, not necessarily visible ones. Could be I misunderstood, or missed a post where this was covered.

On the topic of visible tattoos (hands, knuckles, neck and so on) on f. ex. doctors, I'm inclined to agree that they would not be a wise choice. Again, personally I couldn't care less if the person does their job in a professional manner, but at the same time I realize that not everyone shares my point of view.

A few years ago I was sitting in a public sauna, sweating away as one does. There were three of us guys there, and suddenly a fourth one enters. Lo and behold, it was the dentist I saw earlier in the week. A normal looking man who took really good care of my teeth, who also, it turns out, had most of his body tattooed. We struck up a conversation and he told me that he had lived in Japan for a while, and got the ink in remembrance of a friend he had there who had passed away. Looking at him at the dentist's office I would have never guessed, but it just goes to show that like people in general, tattooed folks are also very much a varied bunch.
 
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