Perceptions About Tattoos And Tattooed People

The act of getting a tattoo may well put you at odds with a lot of people, and there are many who will quite openly state some very negative things about a person with a tattoo – and the more tattoos, the more negative the comments.

Is there any justification behind this?

There is a correlation in some people’s minds between tattoos and violence. This is possibly understandable but generally misguided. Perhaps a lot of violent people have tattoos, but this does not mean a lot of tattooed people, proportionally, are violent. Someone with no tattoos at all could punch someone with several. A lot of people with tattoos are, in fact, very much against violence.

Then there is the argument about the “tramp stamp”. There is a theory – mostly spread by men – that women with a tattoo on the small of their back are sexually promiscuous. The theory goes that if they are willing to draw attention to that area then they must want the area to be explored more closely. The only answer to this theory is to recommend that those who believe it say so directly to a woman with such a tattoo. Then they should count their bruises and think again! :-)
Having one tattoo or more, or even a body covered with them, does not make you stupid, violent or promiscuous – any more than wearing a hat makes you Mexican. Simply put, you can have a tattoo and be whatever you want to be.

Labeling is so uncool.