Five Reasons TO Get a Tattoo

[BaileyisDarcy]

(I mean no offense. But you can't say this is wrong.)

1. It's a work of art. On your body.

(I personally wouldn't get this. But damn that's pretty)

Everyone (almost) has a certain level of appreciation for art yeah? We've all seen that work that we thought 'I wouldn't mind having that on my wall.' Well, tattoos are kind of like that. They are works of art. Only permanent. And on your skin.

Yeah you generally want to be very careful in deciding what you want and making sure you won't hate it in a weeks time, but so long as you make a good choice in tattoo and artist, it can turn out amazing.

2. The attention

Yes, this can be a downside to tattoos, but if you like attention, then this is defintely a positive. If you have something interesting, something intricate, detailed or just nice to look at. People are going to want a closer look. They're going to ask you about it.

If you like attention. That's a positive.

3. Self esteem

I have friends who feel more comfortable dressing as the opposite gender and identifying as such. I have friends who wear collars and feel less themselves without the collar. I have friends who rely on their friends to feel good about themselves. Some like to brag about the amount of sex they get. I personally just like to pretend I'm an arrogant fuck.

There are others though, who feel they need tattoos. My mother has a number of tattoos, only one of which was spontaneous. She has a rose, a butterfly, yin yan, a celtic knife, a design that connects each tattoo on her back, and my brother and I's birthdays beneath a celtic knot.

Even though she already has all these, my mother has mentioned in passing, feeling the need to get another tattoo. She's planning on a dagger of some sort going up her arm.

Not to say my Mum has low self esteem, or self worth. She doesn't need to get the tattoo, but it is a case of lifting her self esteem.

Everyone has their methods. Gorgeous works of art on your skin just happens to be one.

4. Conversation starter

(love it)

'So, weathers nice.'

'Yeah, so's that tattoo. Does it mean anything?'

'Oh yeah, I got it when...'

Hey, you know when you meet someone for the first time. You want to talk to them for whatever reason, but you don't know how to start. Then you spot something on their arm (or wherever) and you realise it's a tattoo. So what do you do? If you're an arse you'll walk off because you hate people with tattoos. But if you aren't judgmental like that, you'll ask them about it.

Bam. Instant conversation.

5. Just look at it

Really, I don't think I have to say anything here.

I mean, just look at them!

(love the little camel on the big toe)

Disclaimer:

I do not have a tattoo. I want one, eventually. Something to do with yin yan. But I don't have one yet. These are only my projected possible advantages to having a tattoo.

Check out the link at the top to see some disadvantages, and some absolute tattoo fails.

Dammit I love well done tattoos.

Warning though, for anyone planning on getting one.

Always always ask for examples of the artists past work. Ask for reviews. Ask for proof that those examples were done by them and when you decide they are the artist you want, ask for a sketch of what you want so you know what you're getting. If you don't like it. Tell them. This thing is going to be painful and permanent. Better to risk annoying them a little, then to be stuck with a horror on your body that you could have avoided.

Love life everyone.

Part 2: 5 Reasons NOT to Get a Tattoo

[Anonymous]

Eh. Getting a tattoo for a conversation starter, attention, and self-esteem all seem like really good reasons NOT to get a tattoo. It seems to me that there are much better ways to start conversations and maintain self-esteem than to get a tattoo, and that a reasonably intelligent, mature, and tasteful person should be able to find these ways. If you want to start a conversation, then be interesting - be learning about things, be following hobbies or other pursuits, and so on. If you want to have self-esteem, then that should come from within, from genuinely believing in yourself - which is the most powerful, when it doesn't come from any physical object or from appearance. And attention shouldn't even matter, especially to an adult. By adulthood, one should know what is really important to them, much deeper than superficial attention. And as I've seen someone say, "you don't put a bumper sticker on a Bentley".

I actually feel like these are weaknesses more than anything. And the judgment is a two-way street. Tattooed people judge non-tattooed people negatively as well, just as badly if not worse. Usually they look down on non-tattooed people as boring, weak, "gay", "pussies", or something like that - as if the only reason people don't get tattoos is because they're afraid. They go around acting like they are the kings of the world, swaggering around acting like they can just "kick your ass" fully embracing the gangster/druggie image. They think they can just take anything they want from non-tattooed people, that they can just show them up with their "rebel" image and attitude. You don't get tattoos of skulls, demons, weapons and stuff like that because you want people to think you're a nice person who saves kittens from trees and helps old ladies cross the street.

I also hate how people have used tattoos to cover up the fact that they are a bad person. For example, a guy could be anywhere from not terrible but not that exceptional of a person, to being a legitimate total scumbag - but because he has tattoos, he is seen as "cool" and it makes up for all the stupid and seriously bad things he's done.

That being said, I'm at least okay with tattooed women. I wouldn't specifically seek one out, but if we got along I wouldn't let the tattoos get in the way of a connection. But I strongly dislike tattooed men. It seems like they are the hyper-macho jocks of the grown-up world, always looking to edge and muscle the non-tattooed guys out.

[Opinion Owner]

The thing is, I like art, I like creativity and I would love to be able to be a more expressive person. But another thing I think is, say I got a tattoo of a band I like or something. Then I met the band, and they were jerks to me, or I saw them being unkind to someone else, or some other thing that changed the way I saw them. Or even symbols of cartoon characters I like. I mean, I like them and all, but it's not my creation, not my symbol, and I won't be someone else's billboard. Even for the stuff I like.

[BaileyisDarcy]

Mm, I disagree on the tattooed men bit.
Both my uncles have tattoos and they're pretty awesome. They've both got the sleeves and I haven't seen any others but they probably have them.
Tattoos never make up for the shitty things people do. They never make up for it. You can't use a tattoo to get out of something.

The point in the tattoo being a conversation starter is that you or they would have got it for separate reasons. It being a conversation starter is just an advantage to having it. My advice with tattoos is to always have a meaning behind it. That way you aren't just getting random ink that means nothing to you.

[Opinion Owner]

Sure, you can't use a tattoo to get out of trouble with the law. But if you're a guy, you can use tattoos to change what girls think of you.

If you're not that great of a guy, just a regular dude with nothing really going for him, you can use tattoos to up your standings from an ordinary person no better than anyone else, to a cocky "badass" by getting tattoos. You're still the same unexceptional guy who still isn't a rockstar or professional athlete. But because you have tattoos, you are seen as "more manly".

And it works especially well if you're a genuinely bad guy, like a junkie or a criminal. If you're a non-tattooed guy who does something bad, you're just a loser. If you're a tattooed guy that does something bad, the bad things don't matter. Women see you first and foremost as a "cool", "tough", "badass" "desperado".

[Cookies_AndMilk]

How are people who go to church the direct opposite when comparing those with tattoos? That analogy is just terrible and offensive in more ways than one.

[bomba78]

I don't know if those are really reasons to get a tattoo... like, I don't want to provide some conversation opener, in fact it gets really annoying. Because people want to touch it and always ask the same lame questions:
did it hurt? (of course! some more than the others)
What does it mean? (it's personal and I'm tired of telling the story)
How much did it cost? (a lot, but does it really matter?)
Don't you think you'll get tired of them/they will look bad when you are old? (I'll be old and wrinkly anyway, at least I'll be colorful... and probably getting more of them)
Why so BIG? (Because I fucking wanted them like that)
What does your family think about it? (some love them, some don't... but it's all good)
Don't you worry about not getting a good job? (ahm, no, and I have a very good job, in a very high level company, thank you very much)

and then the classic (with a condescending tone) "hmm yeah well I don't like tattoos, I would NEVER get one myself.. (Well thank you for letting me know... I couldn't care less actually. But I really hate your outfit, is it ok if I tell you that it looks totally ratchet?)

I love tattoos, always have, always will. My fiance has none, but loves mine and is saving up for his first one (which will be his complete upper arm, basically half a sleeve) Everyone has different tastes and a different opinion of what is sexy. So peace out and let live.

[godfatherfan]

many of those are not actual photo's so they look a lot better then they would in real life on real skin. I cannot stand tattoos. but they are certainly better then piercings. While I will not date a woman that has a piercing anyplace other then her ear, I would be ok with a tattoo if it is not in a place where you can see it.
They are not art by any means. I agree about the conversation starter "so I see by your tattoo that your an idiot.."
if you need to get one do those kind that only last about 2 -3 months. when you get old, all these are going to look really really stupid instead of just really stupid.

[TheAngryBanana]

I personally like tattos and have two of my own right now and getting a third in memorey of my grand mother who I was very close to and loved very much.

Hey if people dont like tattoos or dont wan ttatoos thats cool its not like many people i know are forcing people randomly to get tattoos my assulting them pinning them down and inking them while they are pinned to the ground by a bunch of tattooed people.

I dont mind if people dont personally like any tattoo some one or I have personally I just begin to dislike it when people start telling me what I should do with my body, but would hate it if you told them what to do with their own body.

That being said all like or dislike its still all good : )

[Hannah591]

Tattoos are certainly works of art! I have a little tattoo and it's surprisingly really helped me during bouts of severe depression. I always forget I have it and when I'm drunk, I get glimpses of it and think it's a bruise haha. But I'm happy I have it. It has a big meaning that will be forever permanent in my heart.

[SilenRose]

There was a chart in one of my Cosmo mags that asks a series of questions that helps you decide if you should get a tattoo and what type would be safest for you. Mine said I should get a quote which is accurate. As long as it means something to you and motivates you I don't think anyone would regret getting that put permanently placed on them.

[SirenDep]

I like tattoes as a meaningful work of art. I would only get a tattoo if I had something important to tattoo on my skin. I won 50% off on a tattoo shop and gave it to soneone else, simply because I had no reason to get a tattoo-at least not yet. I wouldn't do one just so that people look at me nor to boost my confidence.. And there's the whole thing that having visible tattoes makes it more difficult to find a job. And who said that a fully tattooed person isn't possible to go to church?

[ThisDudeHere]

If I ever do get myself a tattoo it becomes an issue of having something that I wouldn't regret later on. Inking someone's name on my skin is a bad idea so I'm not gonna even go there. I guess the most neutral but still somewhat coolest thing I could ink would be a "1995" on my back.

[26ukdude]

I'm not into them, we are beautiful without injecting ink permanently into ourselves, and not to mention they look horrible when you get older, they've faded and your skin is wrinkly

[Pinkbeauty]

I like what those tattoos look like but I wouldn't get the real ones cause those would be painful and plus they would need a needle I like the tattoos were there's a air brush being used to do the tattoos or getting the kind were they stick on and u put water on it

[GuyBot]

Tattoos are for scum.
They are no art, they are a way to mark yourself as naive idiot who does not think more than a week ahead,
for the attention you can do a lot of other stupid things which are still less foolish than a tattoo,
if a tattoo lifts your self-esteem you can not be helped anyway,
only a proletarian would talk ask someone about his tattoo,
most people I know just don't talk to tattooed people at all.

The images are gross.

[mexborough]

cool story bro...

[TheDevilInside]

I love the first Quote. Definitely. Tattooed people can be really open minded Whereas people who have never known anything but church (or mosque or other places of worship) can be really Barrow minded. Judgemental-ness comes from narroq mindedness

[Outofthegrey]

I do not like the idea of having a way to easily identify me on my body. I would greatly prefer to blend in and retain the ability to dodge anyone looking for me by not having any unique markings on me.

[YusiBear]

Yeah tatoos are cool but I prefer to be a blank canvas!

[RationalMale]

I've considered getting a small tattoo just for fun... then I stop and wonder, "What on earth am I still going to think is that cool 5 years from now?"

[Sexualchrist]

Personally, I find tattoos ugly. Its like grafiti on your walls. It might still be a form of art but it doesn't make the price of your house go up.

[front2back]

(6.) You never have to worry about trying to get a difficult white collar job.

[bomba78]

wrong!
unless someone is stupid enough to tattoo the neck, face or hands... everything else can easily be covered up with a shirt

[Bards]

My mom has a few gorgeous ones. Everyone falls in love with them xD

I don't think I'll get a permanent one but a henna one would be gr8 so that I can change it up

[JohnScofield787]

They scream "look at my tattoo not me... There is nothing to see here."

[VampireEmpress]

sharpie and waterproof eyeliner tats ftw! I don't like permanent things.

[GreatnessPersonified]

None of those were fact based reasons.
I will not get a tattoo, I change my mind every couple of decades, and would want the tattoo removed after awhile.