I don't see professional people wearing tattoos like doctors, lawyers, dentists, and business professionals, but it's common on people employed in entertainment and professional athletics. I don't mean to sound judgmental, but I think it looks terrible when someone covers themselves with tattoos. When I was coming up, they were employed as "geeks" in freak shows along with the super fatties and other "rare" freakish oddities. I really have a hard time shaking this image for someone covered in tattoos. Why would someone do this to themselves? Their tastes will change over time. When they get old they'll probably be very sorry they did this to themselves.
There is one major reason people get tattoos, and one minor one. The major, is to fit in. Be they real tribal, that horrid fake tribal crap, regimental insignia, or the 'open for business' base of spine tattoo, it's a sign they follow the crowd. The minor reason is self expression, but this is really minor. Take the very rare occasions you see something different and individual on someone. I'm not keen on tattoos, so I have none, and neither do my close friends, despite growing up as headbangers. I never saw anything I liked enough to want it for ever. I guess most folks aren't thinking about the long run when they get them done, but some of my fathers old military pals had really awful old blurred tats that looked dreadful, so I knew what the end product could look like, and let's face it, the last thing a saggy old man needs is a shit tattoo. OK, I've seen full body tattoos that look good, but they tend to be on good looking people. Butt ugly people with lots of body mods are still butt ugly, however.
That's why I have mine - none of my friends had them... so it's hardly to "fit in". But I agree asignificant portion of those with tats have them "because everyone else does". I'm a professional engineer...
Those higher-level jobs tend to require wearing clothes that make it easy to hide a tattoo where nobody will see it, at least while you're at work, so you could see some such people who have them, and not know that they do. But I agree that either it is at least less common among them, or it's generally believed by most people to be so, which could make it so anyway... essentially an inverse relationship between tattooedness and how seriously other people can take you. I never thought of it like that before, but that makes it appear as if a young person getting a tattoo is already deciding NOT to be taken seriously in the future, or thinks (s)he never will be anyway.
That's possible, but I can't hide my hair... Braids and beads, halfway down my back. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Doesn't matter if the tats are visible or not in that case are does it? That's a failure of perception on everyone else's part, of course. The very fact that I look the way I do and do the job I do says implicitly that I SHOULD be taken seriously, because I'm so good at what I do I can afford to look the way I WANT TO. I have never had adverse comments at work or in interviews (in some cases quite the opposite...) Dunno, could be a US/ UK thing...
i am thinking of having the verse that oppenheimer quoted from the bhagavad vita tatooed on my forearm.,i think its one of the most beautiful things i have ever read....opinions?
Yeah but Engineering jobs I've had tend to have a fairly relaxed atmosphere anyway. Most of us dont bother wearing a tie, and this summer most of us are wearing t-shirts/jeans. It may be different, in say a bank or law firm.
ive got three tattoos that are original designs. anyone who has ever commented on them says "wow, thats the coolest tattoo ive ever seen!"
I don't like Tramp Stamps or fake tribal bullshit either. I would also never pick a tattoo "off the wall". I've wanted a tattoo since I was a kid (my father was a tattooed biker - over 20 of them) and it took me until I was 25 to finally decide on one that I designed myself. It is on my thigh high enough to be covered by the shorts I wear, so no one sees it unless I make a point to show it to them. I am currently working on my second one, ten years later, which will go in the same place on my other thigh. They both represent my spiritual/philosphical beliefs. If my beliefs change, I will not change my tattoos, I don't deny, nor am I ashamed of who I have been in the past. My third one, I'm planning on being be a full back piece - again, no one will see it unless I show it to them. Getting a tattoo because it is a popular trend at the moment, because it is cute or because you think it makes you cool is lame - not just because you are trying to fit in, because if that's why you are doing it, that's likely why you are doing everything you do, and that's sad.
But you don't see tattoos on their forearms, necks, hands, and faces. People that are covered with tattoos aren't hard to spot. Yes, I have to agree with you on that point. It's hard to take a person seriously when they're covered with tattoos. I must admit, if I saw a surgeon covered with tattoos, I'd be looking for somebody else to do my operation. I'd be thinking -- man if this guy doesn't care about his own body, why should he care about mine?
You explained your own point. That is why "professional people" are less likely to have tatoos. It hurts their careers. Actors and athletes aren't affected that way, so they are free to get whatever tatoos they like.
I'm a licensed engineer in the US. I've never seen an engineer with tattoos. It's a sign of "gruntness." The grunts on the production floor have bunches of tattoos.
not per se... i think tomorrow evening ill post some pictures of my tattoos. ill be getting another this summer, on my upper back/shoulders.
the ceo of the corporation i worked for for over 5 years had like 10 tattoos. shows how much you know.
Can you imagine what it will be like when it's no longer cool? What will the crowd-pleasers do with all those tattoos? I never saw a tattoo on an old person that looked good. The skin gets so wrinkled and discolored.
