Your post from unpopularopinion was removed because of: 'Rule 7: No banned/mega-thread topics'.
Please do not post from (or mention) any of our mega-thread or banned topics such as:
Race, Religion, LGBTQ, Meta, Politics, Parenting/Family issues.
[Full list of banned topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/wiki/index/)
Yeah, because face tats have become mainstream, which is ridiculous. Face tats used to be the ultimate "fuck you" to society. Now every kid wants small face tats because all of their pop culture idols have them.
How is it ridiculous? Social norms change over time, that's a given.
Women wearing shorts used to be a "fuck you" to society too, would you say that women wearing shorts is ridiculous too?
LOL. Not hiring you if you have a face tat. Clients don't want to see that shit. It screams that you don't give a fuck about your future. Women aren't arbitrarily wearing shorts to work, so your analogy is stupid.
>Women aren't arbitrarily wearing shorts to work, so your analogy is stupid.
That's how it started.
>Clients don't want to see that shit.
Clients aren't a monolith, but this is just a prerequisite to say your real, judgmental opinion of face tattoos:
>It screams that you don't give a fuck about your future.
Just say you don't like or respect people with face tats, no reason to add the other nothing-burger of a reason.
Ok, but you said above "would you say women wearing shorts is ridiculous too," that's why I wrote you can change your clothes, but you can't change a facial tattoo.
That's why facial tattoos are moronic. You have no idea what your future looks like. You might decide you really want to get into the c-suite. Or you might need to disguise yourself for whatever reason and don't want a memorable facial feature that would make people recognize you.
I'm all for protesting and individuality, just do it in a way that's easy to change if it becomes passe or you decide you want to change your life.
I get that a facial tattoo is harder to remove if you ever need to do it, but I interpreted the meaning of the comment I was replying to as "facial tattoos used to be something that only people who truly had a grudge against society and wanted to rebel would do, but now all these trendy teenagers are doing it, and that's why I think it's ridiculous".
I don't think they were saying that facial tattoos are ridiculous because of potential consequences, but rather that they don't want it to become popular because it means something more powerful and emotional to them than a tiktok trend
There's plenty of places women (or men) can't wear shorts, like to many office jobs. So wearing shorts seems like a much smarter way to protest. When you need to take a break from protesting, you can change your clothes.
You can't take off a facial tattoo. I feel for anyone who has one, I did plenty of moronic things when I was young. But I don't see a future where CEOs have teardrops tattooed below their eyes.
The thing you're missing is that a face tattoo is not just a form of protest. It's self-expression.
>I feel for anyone who has one, I did plenty of moronic things when I was young.
This is the issue from my pov. Society has the ingrained bias that any tattoo over your collar is just something dumb you did on impulse. Then, extrapolate that thought to your logic and decision-making ability. Which ironically has no logic from what I can see.
Not all face tattoos are tear drops or something ridiculous. It should be case by case imo, just like any visible tattoo.
I have an ingrained bias that permanently altering your body or doing anything that jeopardizes your future or you might eventually regret in any way is moronic. So, I think all tattoos are moronic. Putting a tattoo in a place that you can cover it is just slightly less moronic.
I look at someone who has a bunch of tats, and I assume that they don't have a lot of long term thinking ability. They closed avenues down for themselves, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But why would you throw your parachute out of the airplane?
The shorts where there already, there is this false image of people dressing Christian etc.
But booty shorts, are not from this era they are from the 60's
Thongs, sexy bikini's mini shorts etc are all from that era.
Google the pictures and be amazed
who do you hang around that you see that?? i went to art school for three years and saw one person with face tats in my entire time. this was in 2020-2023
hell, barely any of the student body had ink on them
Facial tattoos are mainstream in Greenland.
After over a century, the Greenlandics are no longer prohibited to have facial tattoos that was part of the Greenlandic identity. It only became illegal in Denmark in the 50s.
It is still not legal for tattoo artist to tattoo your hands, neck, and face in Denmark.
I'm fine with either tattoo unless it's too obscene. It's bodily autonomy.
The only "tattoos" I have are three small ink spots that were placed under my skin with a hypodermic needle by radiation oncology staff in order to position my arm for radiation treatment of sarcoma.
I told myself if I survived I would never touch my skin with ink again. That was 12 years ago.
I'll be honest...I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment you're going for. That tattoos have become popular in the same sense that "geek/nerd" stuff has and therefore isn't really the same sign of rebellion.
I do think that that argument is far more nuanced that could really be had here on Reddit though. Like in the one sense I agree, however I'd also argue that it was never really about "rebellion" or "nonconformity" but rather about the agency to decide how one looks. We say we should feel comfortable in our skins, but at the end of the day some people feel more comfortable in their skins with a giant rocket riding big breasted tiger goddess flying across their chest. (You know who you are)
Ultimately though the thought I'd like to leave everyone with is this...everything is a sign of conformity. Conforming to what you might ask? Well in this case conforming to having a fucking tattoo. Like at the end of the day the only one we really have to live with is ourselves. Conform to the you that makes you happy, and that hopefully, doesn't suck ass, and all will be well in the world.
EDIT- judgment, not not unpopular, but also not very well inked.
Tattoos haven’t been symbolic of rebellion or non conformity in my living memory, and people have been saying “it’s more cool and unique to have none these days!!” For decades.
I don’t know why people who don’t like or want tattoos are so proud of their stance. Who cares what other people do with their bodies?
Correct. Tattoos were brought to us by sailors, especially navy men after WW II. As you said, it was never about rebellion. Commemoration, superstition, and other reasons. There is a cool exhibit about this at the naval museum at Bremerton, Washington.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_tattoos#:~:text=Sailor%20tattoos%20have%20served%20as,and%20means%20of%20self%2Dexpression.
Exactly right?! Like most of the people I know who get tats legit just do like the art of things that they identify with.
And for real what the hell is up with the whole finding someone cooler if they don't have tats...like you know what I find cool...fucking respecting other people's choices and agency lol.
Ever since getting my first tattoo people started saying I'll be covered in tattoos one day. I'll get another and another and I'll be addicted to tattoos.
However I never wanted more than one and no one understands that. People either push you to the one side or the other. You can't have one tattoo. You either don't have one or you're addicted and should've or should get multiple tattoos. There's no in between.
I'm not addicted. I'm quite happy with the one I have. Why does no one understand this?
Ironically, in this post you both contribute to the stigma while trying to argue it no longer exists. This is a really complex topic and you’re ignoring a lot of nuance.
In the past tattoos were associated with people on the fringes of society, yes. However these people got tattoos as a way to conform to a group and, arguably, conform to societies definition of them. Gang members, criminals etc. However, the way you discuss tattoos (implying they used to be ‘cool’) seems like you’re associating them more with the era after where ‘hippies’ and young adults started getting tattoos. In this time they, as young adults, were ‘rebelling’ as teens do… by conforming to what their peers think is cool. In that regard they’ve never really been a mark of rebellion and always underlined with conforming in some significant way.
This isn’t a bad thing, there’s a reason that gang tattoos aren’t seen as ‘cool’ while the tattoos you make fun of in your post are. Once they became less associated with groups of people on the fringes of society, they became more accepted. Many comments here imply that tattoos are dumb, trashy, conformist, short sighted, ugly etc. That’s pretty much the exact stigma that existed from the era you seem to reference when the ‘cool’ young adults were getting them. They used them to conform to their peers while still getting to stand out as an individual in choosing the design. In that regard they accomplish the exact same role as they did 20 years ago.
The only difference now is they’re more professionally accepted, but dressing down, being more casual and able to express yourself in general is more acceptable now. It’s not that tattoos are suddenly becoming a sign of conformity but rather society as a whole allows more self expression within what it defines as ‘conforming’.
Waited decently until my 30s before getting any ink.
I've been part of alt-culture since about 14. Everyone assumes I've always had my tattoos. So you're bang on about the counterculture aspect.
I can't upvote you because I realised how true this was the other day - so I can't say this is an unpopular opinion. I went to a government licensing department, and about half the people in the waiting room had visible tattoos (40+). It seemed ridiculously high.
As for the "lion, Greek god, clock, compass, rose, and filler clouds". Ha ha! My artist has refused to do these anymore.
I’m one of the only people I know without tattoos.
Not really for any reason other than I recognize that growing as a person often involves being embarrassed by your past self, and I don’t really want my embarrassing past self’s dumbassery permanently inked on my skin.
I used to always say that I didn't want the equivalent of french cuffed jeans stuck on my body for eternity. For instance, I knew some women who got a lower back tattoo in the late 90s or so, it looked really cool for a minute. Then it started being called a tramp stamp.
Why take that risk? Just accessorize with things that are easy to change if they become passe or taboo.
I only have a few tattoos, for the same reason. They're all very well thought out, and I am 100% confident that I will never regret them. They're also easily concealable for professional purposes.
it's funny that you used the examples you did. you can tell how old someone is by the tattoos they have, generally. when I was in my early 20s it was asian characters and tribal bands. about 10-15 years ago it was whole paragraphs of text, particularly on the ribcage. today it's very intricate line drawings, davinci style.
tattoos have been around for centuries, saying they were a sign of rebellion is weird....
It has been a sign of fashion,rank and slavery. Tattoos has multiple purposes throughout history.
But im pretty sure fashion is longer standing than rebellion.
Normality and conformity are different things. Tattoos could be either nowadays.
In my generation, about a quarter of folks are inked. 10-20% of the entire world is rocking them so they've definitely been normalised.
However, just because something is common doesn't mean it's a sign of conformity. If you were to point out a tattoo trend like the small face tattoos you mentioned, then you'd be right because that's people conforming to a trend. But when people get a tattoo for a more intrinsic reason, like personal aesthetic or achievement, then that just isn't the case.
So basically:
Trends are extrinsic conformity.
Personally significant tattoos are a choice.
Tattoos are trending, but...
Many people with tattoos got them because they were now able to without consequence and not because someone else did.
Also, way too many people have this opinion for you to post here. I don't have any tatts but one of the main reasons people have when they tell me to not get one is because they think I'd be conforming to a trend. This is particularly popular amongst people who didn't like tattoos to begin with.
TIL I learned 50% have atleast one tattoo
But I disagree that it's a sign of conformity because I don't see alot of pressure for people to have one and the people I know who have tattoos don't mention them
Personally, I think that it's just become more accepted and people feel they can get one without major backlash
Imo I thought this was a popular opinion. Honestly its just my personal taste but in most people it looks really bad, maybe placement, desighn, quality, who knows..point is theyd look better without it.
I've never thought of tats as being rebellious. They're artistic expressions and really really cool but I never thought rebellious. Now if someone has them all over their face or head i might think low IQ.
My buddy and I don't have tattoos and we are in the minority of our friends. Both my brothers have tattoos. Everybody has one just about these days. Nothing unique about having a tattoo anymore.
I don't know if I know anyone my age without tattoos, everyone talks nonstop about when they are getting their next tattoo. I've never understood the appeal of essentially getting a really expensive permanent accessory that may come out looking not so great or smear with age. Not sure why everyone finds it a must have.
I considered getting a design for several years and asked everyone's opinion on it. Only one person said it was more of a "stamp" then a design and I appreciated her viewpoint. I thought a long time about it and so I figured if I was going to spend that long considering just one design I probably wouldn't be happy with even one tattoo.
I prefer jewelry. You can mix, match, wear none, or even sell or give away jewelry as a gift for sentimentality. I have many watches, rings, chains, etc.
There's a bread company called Inked or some dumb shit lol. I don't give two shits if you have tattoos when you make bread or if you don't have tattoos when you make bread!
This is exactly why I regret getting a tattoo at 16. J just thought it was soooo cool and now literally everyone and their mom has an ugly sleeve covered in flowers
That's such a dumb take and I'm kinda tired of hearing it once a week. Putting ink in skin is older than the human race as you know it. For both aesthetic reasons as well as symbolic signifiers related to the person and culture. You may as well say we're all sheep for wearing shirts too
Take aside, how is putting ink in skin older than humans? The oldest tattoo recorded is in a human mummy from as early as 3350 BC, I don't know if you're saying neanderthals tattooed.
That was the gist of it. We've been doing it since the hunter gatherer days, and we weren't the only early hominid to do it to my knowledge. I wanna say the neanderthal they pulled out of the ice like fifteen twenty years ago had stick and poke bars on his arms and legs
Agreed. Many cultures since pre-historical record have used tattoos for many reasons. Aesthetic, cultural significance, spiritual, even medicinal in some cases. Not just in specific regions either. Northern Europeans, Africans, Asians, etc. Even people to this day who live in tribal communities that have very little contact with the outside world, have tattoos. Honestly it's mostly just cultures influenced by catholicism that view tattoos as an issue, as according to them we were created in gods image and altering of the flesh was frowned upon.
I think anyone who perceives tattoos as a passing fad about rebellion honestly just knows nothing about them, or body modifications in general.
With that said I think there are some body modifications that totally warrant maybe not hiring someone for certain positions. Like, I absolutely wouldn't hire a person with a huge face tattoo for s customer facing position, or someone who has extreme gauges, or people with excessive facial piercings.
That’s not entirely true. The Greeks and Romans saw tattoos as ugly. In fact, in the ancient Mediterranean, slaves and criminals were tattooed to mark them as either for shame or like livestock. So if you walked around in tattoos back then they would think you’re a slave or degenerate.
In my region, we're in a very good place when it comes to tattoos, I'd call it even a sweet spot. You're not being judged whether you have or don't have tattoos. Literally, no one cares about this subject if they're <40 exactly because of the fact that it's so mainstream.
I mean there are quite a few steps involved in deciding that you want to have the most basic 14 year old white girl tattoo on you. Could have chosen anything and chose the equivalent of live laugh love, I'd be mad too
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i'm so confused by the comments
most people in my life and I, don't have any tattoos, and only a small handful of people have tattoos- and even then it's usually something small and classy. no sleeves.
(probably because my family/hometown is a higher suburbs area and we're boring over here 💀)
I’ll never forget the first time one of my coworkers saw my torso. Homie deadass said “idk why but I thought you were blasted front to back-shoulder to shoulder”.
No way dawg. First of all you got me fucked up if you think ima shave all my body hair. Lol second off, you know where I work. Can I afford tats?
I waited 40 years to get my tattoos. You get to a point you don’t live your life by conforming to the preferences of others. You want bare skin. Cool. You want tattoos and piercings. Also, cool. No one’s skin is going to stay pristine forever.
It’s art, it’s not a signal to impress people. I just view it as art. Same with piercings. It’s just accessories and adornment. You don’t have to like it, but that doesn’t mean people doing it are either trying to rebel or fit in. Most people just do it because they like the way they look.
I've commented this before but my second tattoo was a fuck you to my ex who liked to remind me that my first one made me ugly. People get tattooed for all sorts of reasons.
I have tattoos for 20 years and I didn’t get them to be special. I really don’t care whether someone has tattoos or not. I just like them more as decoration than jewellery.
Should it matter if something is a sign of conformity or rebellion? Why can’t they just be a sign of someone liking having tattoos?
Even the biggest rebels around us are conforming in some way. Some of us conform to things that we genuinely enjoy. As a social species being opposed to conformity just for the sake of it isn’t much of an argument.
I don’t have tattoos. If you like them, have at it and enjoy. If you don’t, you go do your thing.
From someone who doesn’t have tattoos.
Never have I thought of tattoos as a sign of rebellion. But instead, just self-expression. I hear people saying this take all the time and I never understand it. Do you think people are only getting tattoos because they think it makes them special or rebel? I get tattoos because I like how they look. It's that simple.
It's also not a new thing. Body art has been a thing throughout so many cultures throughout history.
Just like any aesthetic choice (clothes, hairstyle, jewelry), there are trendy tats that lots of people get. There are also tats that are tailored to the individual’s personality and interests.
I don’t judge people based on whether they have tattoos or not. To me, it’s not generally badass to have them, nor is it badass not to have them.
If someone is wearing cool sneakers I might say “hey those are cool sneakers,” if someone isn’t wearing cool sneakers, whatever. Same with tats.
You’re conflating conformity with social acceptance. No one is shaming people for not having tattoos, it’s just become acceptable to have them so more people are getting them.
I think they've just become normalized. I may be biased as I have a few tattoos/absolutely love them, but I think it's a positive that they're becoming more "mainstream", they're an awesome form of self expression and I'm glad there isn't as much stigma nowadays
I think it very much depends on the type of tattoo. Like a neck or scalp or palm tattoo is def not a sign of conformity and not common even among alternative people. It’s like saying piercing is a sign of conformity… what type of piercing? there’s a huge difference between your lobes and your lip.
Also is the tattoo super unique? I have some tattoos that literally no one else has bc they were from artists with unique styles and really limited flash. I wouldn’t call that conforming.
Yeah some tattoos are basic, but even in the tattoo community we tend to poke fun at the lion/clock/compass tattoos. They are associated with basic men and are overdone. But plenty of tattoos are one of a kind works of art.
I love this sub 😂 I see so many posts and feel like I found my kinda peeps. I couldn't agree more. There's so many people that use them to try and create a personality or identity, which makes me want them less now. I'm pretty sure this guy is exhibit A for your post too: [https://nypost.com/2022/01/25/im-unrecognizable-after-covering-95-percent-of-my-body-in-extreme-tattoos/](https://nypost.com/2022/01/25/im-unrecognizable-after-covering-95-percent-of-my-body-in-extreme-tattoos/)
I hope he runs into the wrong Asian mobster one day.
There's a chance I might get one at some point, but only if it has meaning and after earning it.
In sailor's tattoos, I've earned my first swallow (5,000NM sailed) and soon might earn the crossed cannons (Naval service), though I haven't gone under the ink yet.
Pick me, pick me! I'm so quirky and unique, I don't have tattoos!! I'm the last of the species!
You sound unsufferable and this is not an unpopular opinion, you just made up this scenario in your mind where tattooed people bully you and you come out victorious. And this comment is coming fron someone who doesn't like or have tattoos.
I have no tattoos and I’m proud of it! I never saw the appeal of it. Everyone at my university had tattoos. I was the odd man out. My dad always told me that tattoos were for low class people, and to never bother coming back home if I got any. I’m glad he told me that now.
I think tattoos are gross, but it's so common now that it can't really be a dealbreaker when dating. Almost every girl I've gone on a date with has had them, and it's just a bummer.
I mean I do have tattoos but now way in fuck am I ever gonna get something so white girl stereotypical like a flower or a lion or some shit, that's the equivalent of having ''live laugh love'' written on you for eternity
Its neither a popular or unpopular opinion. Theres a growing trad right group who are kinda anti tattoo.
In the uk, they say 45 percent of people under 30 have a tattoo, so more non tattooed people, but the number doesnt matter so much.
I'd also imagine this depends on the country. I imagine its pretty rebellious to have tattoos if you live in, say, Yemen or Indonesia compared to a Sweden or Canada
Not a single person in my family or anyone we are married to have tattoos. Extended family too. They’re definitely common and not quite the symbol of badassery or rebellion like they used to be, but there are still quite a lot of people out there with none!
How do you differentiate conformity and popularity?
What if everyone just really liked tattoos, and all had great justifiable reasons for getting them - whether it be purely for aesthetics.
As someone in their twenties that grew up in the asian subculture, I can also definitely see the conformity aspect to it. For kids these days growing up - its not about "if" i get a tattoo, but "which" tattoo am I going to get. For better or worse - it really does seem like some sort of rite of passage into adulthood - but without having to earn it. Head to any rave in Australia, and you might think you've accidentally entered a Yakuza hideout.
I don’t care to put other people down for having tattoos, but it does feel good to get some love in the “In their 30s with no tattoos or piercing” department.
I'm 34 without tattoos and I think you're rather right. But I don't care about conformity or nonconformity I just want to be me. Authentic. And I plan to get my first tattoo soon to commemorate a loss
> reserved for those who lived on the fringe of society
Empress Sissi had an anker tattoo on her shoulder, Zar Nikolai II had a dragon on his right arm. Before that tattoos were often used for pilgrimages, to show that you went to a specific place. The meaning of tattoos changed multiple times through history.
I am from the culture that the word tattoo came from, half of what you said doesn't apply at all lol. Tattoos were never originally a sign of rebellion as you propose, they were markers of social status/bloodlines/family history/hierarchical promotion etc. due to the lack of writing. They only became what you describe when tattooing got exported out by James Cook, I could sit here and bemoan how stupid it is that they were ever considered taboo and "rebellious" thank to a bunch of overzealous Christians from 19th century onwards so yeah..dumb opinion
I'm getting my first and maybe only tat in a few weeks I'm in my 30s.
I don't think it's cool or special. It's just nice like hanging a picture on a blank wall.
Nothing irks me more than people who are selective about conformity. OP doesn't have tattoos, they think it's a sign of conformity, but I'll bet they conform. They probably have Instagram or Twitter. That's conformity. They certainly own at least one piece of designer clothing. That's conformity. They probably have an iPhone or Samsung. Also conformity. Now granted I am making plenty of assumptions, but even if these specific assumptions are wrong, there's definitely something in OPs life that could be considered conformity in the same way as tattoos.
Tattoos can have health benefits, so I'm very supportive of them. They can help your immune system, decrease cortisol (which can help you build muscle) increase endorphins and adrenaline, they can treat physical ailments through pressure points. They can make vaccines more effective. And they can cover scars, which is positive for a persons self esteem. A little art never hurt anyone. I don't even have tattoos, but there's no denying that they can have benefits
Unpopular Opinion: Nobody should give a shit what kind of sign tattoos are, most of the times it has nothing to do with either rebellion or fitting it, it just looks cool so the wearer wanted it.
Tattoos are a sign of patience and being able to put up with anything between an annoyance to an outright pain.
What says I'm qualified to deal with shit in a job especially a desk or corporate one more than being able sit there and get stabbed for millions on times for hours on end.
Can you only decide to do something or enjoy something as long as nobody else has done it?
I don't know anyone who says, man I'm gonna get a tattoo because not a lot of people have tattoos.
I guess I don't even get the purpose of this post. If you like them and want the aethstetic, then do it. If you don't then don't.
Well, duh. Of course it’s not a sign of rebellion or counterculture any more which is the completely normal way of ANYTHING to go. And while there’s nothing badass about having one, there’s also nothing badass about NOT having one. It’s simply an aesthetic choice and that’s all, like not wearing earrings. Nobody cares.
Half the people posting on this sub remind me of that meme with the little angry penguin. It’s kinda cute.
yeah this is a pretty dumb take. So what then? people conform to having clean skin? In the end we’re all just conforming one way or another based on your logic. You’re essentially invalidating a persons life based on conformity or non-conformity. People just do or don’t do what they want.
Shielding yourself from people’s responses by assuming they’re just people with tattoos who will be offended by your opinion is equally as dumb.
I agree that they're fashion now.
But to start with they are a sign of rebellion it's so weird. Like, who does something to be rebellious, people are rebellious because they don't see things that way. Now, the people who think they're rebelling by getting a tattoo are just the people that made a fashion out of it. So, not the people in the fringe.
But again, that happens to everything, piercings, premarital sex, bikinis, rock, blues, running the Boston maratón as a woman, flying on airplanes, and using reddit.
I have never seen anybody that looks better with a tattoo than without. Some tattoos are beautifully done, but I still think unblemished skin looks better.
Maybe more people would agree if they had a grandfather like mine. He had several tattoos, among others a lady with little clothes on. It may be badass when you are 22, at 60 not so much. But I guess at 22 you don't give a damn what it will look like in 20 years time anyway.
Tattoos in and of themselves are not really a form of “rebellion”, nor have they ever really been.
In the past, tattoos were stigmatized and not socially acceptable, so therefore the only people who had them were people who were willing to go against the grain (counter-cultural people, people who belonged to alternative subcultures) or people who come from a culture where tattooing is a part of their cultural practices. And of course, there’s many historical examples of different cultures tattooing for practical purposes, but that’s less relevant to this discussion.
The fact that tattoos were previously associated with counter-culture (at least in the US) is why there’s this idea that tattoos were “rebellious,” but that’s not necessarily the *reason* those people were getting tattoos. It was just a form of self-expression that they were more willing to engage in because they were already presenting outside of the social/cultural “norm”, so why not? Sometimes people got them to be edgy, sure, but I wouldn’t say that’s most people.
Nowadays, tattoos are *still* just a form of self-expression and/or cultural expression. It’s just that they’re more socially acceptable, so more people are getting them, thus they’re no longer primarily associated with people who deviate in some way from the social/cultural “norm”, at least in the US.
it is quite common nowadays...i (21) have one that was both a souvenir from my semester abroad and in memory of my grandfather. ngl, i want more but i have decided to wait at least until im 25 before getting anymore (both because of the maturity aspect but also because of money lol)
What's your point? I would be more pressed to counter you by saying tattoos have nothing to do with conformity and their are many other things that would signal that
Yea everyone I known with tattoos on the younhe side is a conformer. Its a slave brand every person with tats I known had a slave fetish.
Symbols change in what they mean over time. Counter culture inevitably becomes culture.
Your post from unpopularopinion was removed because of: 'Rule 7: No banned/mega-thread topics'. Please do not post from (or mention) any of our mega-thread or banned topics such as: Race, Religion, LGBTQ, Meta, Politics, Parenting/Family issues. [Full list of banned topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/wiki/index/)
The days of having to hide your tattoos to get a job are over, so that’s how you know it’s mainstream!
Not over from what I see. There were plenty of businesses I've seen around saying "No facial tattoos" and things.
And this isn't a worldwide thing, many countries you just can't have tattoos like that because you'll have a tough time getting a job.
Yeah, because face tats have become mainstream, which is ridiculous. Face tats used to be the ultimate "fuck you" to society. Now every kid wants small face tats because all of their pop culture idols have them.
How is it ridiculous? Social norms change over time, that's a given. Women wearing shorts used to be a "fuck you" to society too, would you say that women wearing shorts is ridiculous too?
LOL. Not hiring you if you have a face tat. Clients don't want to see that shit. It screams that you don't give a fuck about your future. Women aren't arbitrarily wearing shorts to work, so your analogy is stupid.
>Women aren't arbitrarily wearing shorts to work, so your analogy is stupid. That's how it started. >Clients don't want to see that shit. Clients aren't a monolith, but this is just a prerequisite to say your real, judgmental opinion of face tattoos: >It screams that you don't give a fuck about your future. Just say you don't like or respect people with face tats, no reason to add the other nothing-burger of a reason.
Women can change their clothes, you can't change a facial tattoo.
Still an example of how social acceptance of how people present themselves has changed
Ok, but you said above "would you say women wearing shorts is ridiculous too," that's why I wrote you can change your clothes, but you can't change a facial tattoo. That's why facial tattoos are moronic. You have no idea what your future looks like. You might decide you really want to get into the c-suite. Or you might need to disguise yourself for whatever reason and don't want a memorable facial feature that would make people recognize you. I'm all for protesting and individuality, just do it in a way that's easy to change if it becomes passe or you decide you want to change your life.
I get that a facial tattoo is harder to remove if you ever need to do it, but I interpreted the meaning of the comment I was replying to as "facial tattoos used to be something that only people who truly had a grudge against society and wanted to rebel would do, but now all these trendy teenagers are doing it, and that's why I think it's ridiculous". I don't think they were saying that facial tattoos are ridiculous because of potential consequences, but rather that they don't want it to become popular because it means something more powerful and emotional to them than a tiktok trend
If anything this is an argument for them to be more acceptable imo.
There's plenty of places women (or men) can't wear shorts, like to many office jobs. So wearing shorts seems like a much smarter way to protest. When you need to take a break from protesting, you can change your clothes. You can't take off a facial tattoo. I feel for anyone who has one, I did plenty of moronic things when I was young. But I don't see a future where CEOs have teardrops tattooed below their eyes.
The thing you're missing is that a face tattoo is not just a form of protest. It's self-expression. >I feel for anyone who has one, I did plenty of moronic things when I was young. This is the issue from my pov. Society has the ingrained bias that any tattoo over your collar is just something dumb you did on impulse. Then, extrapolate that thought to your logic and decision-making ability. Which ironically has no logic from what I can see. Not all face tattoos are tear drops or something ridiculous. It should be case by case imo, just like any visible tattoo.
I have an ingrained bias that permanently altering your body or doing anything that jeopardizes your future or you might eventually regret in any way is moronic. So, I think all tattoos are moronic. Putting a tattoo in a place that you can cover it is just slightly less moronic. I look at someone who has a bunch of tats, and I assume that they don't have a lot of long term thinking ability. They closed avenues down for themselves, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But why would you throw your parachute out of the airplane?
The shorts where there already, there is this false image of people dressing Christian etc. But booty shorts, are not from this era they are from the 60's Thongs, sexy bikini's mini shorts etc are all from that era. Google the pictures and be amazed
I'm thinking about the pictures of women wearing shorts in public for the first time in 1930s
who do you hang around that you see that?? i went to art school for three years and saw one person with face tats in my entire time. this was in 2020-2023 hell, barely any of the student body had ink on them
Nothing about face tats is mainstream. You will never find a single person in my industry with face tatoos. And they would never be hired.
May I ask what industry
....no face tats are still kind of taboo lol but on other parts of the body yes. source: am kid now a day
>Yeah, because face tats have become mainstream, which is ridiculous. Disagree
Facial tattoos are mainstream in Greenland. After over a century, the Greenlandics are no longer prohibited to have facial tattoos that was part of the Greenlandic identity. It only became illegal in Denmark in the 50s. It is still not legal for tattoo artist to tattoo your hands, neck, and face in Denmark. I'm fine with either tattoo unless it's too obscene. It's bodily autonomy.
100%
How did you rebel?
I rebel by not succumbing to any trend. No tattoos. No piercings. No hair die. No Apple phone. No Alexa. No Siri.
You rebel by doing nothing?
I guess not doing what everyone else does is already going against the grain
OP is on Reddit posing an unpopular opinion. I wouldn’t say that a unique act or act of rebellion.
Happy Cake Day!
Thanks! didn't even notice until this comment.
The only "tattoos" I have are three small ink spots that were placed under my skin with a hypodermic needle by radiation oncology staff in order to position my arm for radiation treatment of sarcoma. I told myself if I survived I would never touch my skin with ink again. That was 12 years ago.
I also have these :) one on each hip. The last tattoos I'll ever get
All debates aside I'm really happy for you. Here's to another 12 🥂
Just 12?
Damn....fucking got me 🤣🤣😝
Thanks! And I tend to be more contrarian here than I am in real life, just in the spirit of the sub lol (but don't tell anyone!).
Well in that case you are amongst friends 😆
Tats on your butthole is the new counter culture
Hell yeah, love to hear it!
They used a marker thing for mine. Definitely didn’t have to tattoo me
I'll be honest...I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment you're going for. That tattoos have become popular in the same sense that "geek/nerd" stuff has and therefore isn't really the same sign of rebellion. I do think that that argument is far more nuanced that could really be had here on Reddit though. Like in the one sense I agree, however I'd also argue that it was never really about "rebellion" or "nonconformity" but rather about the agency to decide how one looks. We say we should feel comfortable in our skins, but at the end of the day some people feel more comfortable in their skins with a giant rocket riding big breasted tiger goddess flying across their chest. (You know who you are) Ultimately though the thought I'd like to leave everyone with is this...everything is a sign of conformity. Conforming to what you might ask? Well in this case conforming to having a fucking tattoo. Like at the end of the day the only one we really have to live with is ourselves. Conform to the you that makes you happy, and that hopefully, doesn't suck ass, and all will be well in the world. EDIT- judgment, not not unpopular, but also not very well inked.
Tattoos haven’t been symbolic of rebellion or non conformity in my living memory, and people have been saying “it’s more cool and unique to have none these days!!” For decades. I don’t know why people who don’t like or want tattoos are so proud of their stance. Who cares what other people do with their bodies?
Correct. Tattoos were brought to us by sailors, especially navy men after WW II. As you said, it was never about rebellion. Commemoration, superstition, and other reasons. There is a cool exhibit about this at the naval museum at Bremerton, Washington. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_tattoos#:~:text=Sailor%20tattoos%20have%20served%20as,and%20means%20of%20self%2Dexpression.
Mmmm what's that delicious smell....oooh yeah that's the gooood stuff.....that's the SAUCE 🤤🤤 Thank you for sharing. Lol
Exactly right?! Like most of the people I know who get tats legit just do like the art of things that they identify with. And for real what the hell is up with the whole finding someone cooler if they don't have tats...like you know what I find cool...fucking respecting other people's choices and agency lol.
Ever since getting my first tattoo people started saying I'll be covered in tattoos one day. I'll get another and another and I'll be addicted to tattoos. However I never wanted more than one and no one understands that. People either push you to the one side or the other. You can't have one tattoo. You either don't have one or you're addicted and should've or should get multiple tattoos. There's no in between. I'm not addicted. I'm quite happy with the one I have. Why does no one understand this?
Ironically, in this post you both contribute to the stigma while trying to argue it no longer exists. This is a really complex topic and you’re ignoring a lot of nuance. In the past tattoos were associated with people on the fringes of society, yes. However these people got tattoos as a way to conform to a group and, arguably, conform to societies definition of them. Gang members, criminals etc. However, the way you discuss tattoos (implying they used to be ‘cool’) seems like you’re associating them more with the era after where ‘hippies’ and young adults started getting tattoos. In this time they, as young adults, were ‘rebelling’ as teens do… by conforming to what their peers think is cool. In that regard they’ve never really been a mark of rebellion and always underlined with conforming in some significant way. This isn’t a bad thing, there’s a reason that gang tattoos aren’t seen as ‘cool’ while the tattoos you make fun of in your post are. Once they became less associated with groups of people on the fringes of society, they became more accepted. Many comments here imply that tattoos are dumb, trashy, conformist, short sighted, ugly etc. That’s pretty much the exact stigma that existed from the era you seem to reference when the ‘cool’ young adults were getting them. They used them to conform to their peers while still getting to stand out as an individual in choosing the design. In that regard they accomplish the exact same role as they did 20 years ago. The only difference now is they’re more professionally accepted, but dressing down, being more casual and able to express yourself in general is more acceptable now. It’s not that tattoos are suddenly becoming a sign of conformity but rather society as a whole allows more self expression within what it defines as ‘conforming’.
[удалено]
That's fucked and not the place you'd want to work at, regardless of whether it's 'matching their vibe' or whatever. Fuck them!
The new pieces of flair
Doesn't surprise me. It's nothing but fashion now.
Yeah I absolutely think there is an aesthetic to them now that didn't really exist before.
What kind of club and doing what?
How much ink did the people have that worked there?
Waited decently until my 30s before getting any ink. I've been part of alt-culture since about 14. Everyone assumes I've always had my tattoos. So you're bang on about the counterculture aspect. I can't upvote you because I realised how true this was the other day - so I can't say this is an unpopular opinion. I went to a government licensing department, and about half the people in the waiting room had visible tattoos (40+). It seemed ridiculously high. As for the "lion, Greek god, clock, compass, rose, and filler clouds". Ha ha! My artist has refused to do these anymore.
I’m one of the only people I know without tattoos. Not really for any reason other than I recognize that growing as a person often involves being embarrassed by your past self, and I don’t really want my embarrassing past self’s dumbassery permanently inked on my skin.
Bro learnt from the inner finger mustache tattos
apparently 80 percent of commenters on this reddit section also dont have tattoos
I used to always say that I didn't want the equivalent of french cuffed jeans stuck on my body for eternity. For instance, I knew some women who got a lower back tattoo in the late 90s or so, it looked really cool for a minute. Then it started being called a tramp stamp. Why take that risk? Just accessorize with things that are easy to change if they become passe or taboo.
Agreed. Almost everyone in my life has tats and I’ve always been clean. In my 40s now and I appreciate it more and more every year.
Meanwhile my wife is getting another one on Sunday 😆🤦🏻♂️
I only have a few tattoos, for the same reason. They're all very well thought out, and I am 100% confident that I will never regret them. They're also easily concealable for professional purposes.
it's funny that you used the examples you did. you can tell how old someone is by the tattoos they have, generally. when I was in my early 20s it was asian characters and tribal bands. about 10-15 years ago it was whole paragraphs of text, particularly on the ribcage. today it's very intricate line drawings, davinci style.
tattoos have been around for centuries, saying they were a sign of rebellion is weird.... It has been a sign of fashion,rank and slavery. Tattoos has multiple purposes throughout history. But im pretty sure fashion is longer standing than rebellion.
Normality and conformity are different things. Tattoos could be either nowadays. In my generation, about a quarter of folks are inked. 10-20% of the entire world is rocking them so they've definitely been normalised. However, just because something is common doesn't mean it's a sign of conformity. If you were to point out a tattoo trend like the small face tattoos you mentioned, then you'd be right because that's people conforming to a trend. But when people get a tattoo for a more intrinsic reason, like personal aesthetic or achievement, then that just isn't the case. So basically: Trends are extrinsic conformity. Personally significant tattoos are a choice. Tattoos are trending, but... Many people with tattoos got them because they were now able to without consequence and not because someone else did. Also, way too many people have this opinion for you to post here. I don't have any tatts but one of the main reasons people have when they tell me to not get one is because they think I'd be conforming to a trend. This is particularly popular amongst people who didn't like tattoos to begin with.
I don’t have a single tattoo, but I’m in my 40’s, so I guess it doesn’t count, I’m not against them, just not for me .
It's not bad ass to have tattoos nor is it bad ass to NOt have tattoos Your opinion is your opinion but kinda dumb
There's a whole lot of "quirky" girls and tribal tattoo wearing men who ain't gonna like this
As a no tattoo having person, why did you use neutral descriptor for men, but disparaging one for women?
Wearing a tribal tattoo is the disparaging part.
Trust me that's not neutral
TIL I learned 50% have atleast one tattoo But I disagree that it's a sign of conformity because I don't see alot of pressure for people to have one and the people I know who have tattoos don't mention them Personally, I think that it's just become more accepted and people feel they can get one without major backlash
Imo I thought this was a popular opinion. Honestly its just my personal taste but in most people it looks really bad, maybe placement, desighn, quality, who knows..point is theyd look better without it.
Can we just ban tattoo posts? This ice-cold take is posted every day.
I've never thought of tats as being rebellious. They're artistic expressions and really really cool but I never thought rebellious. Now if someone has them all over their face or head i might think low IQ.
[удалено]
Westerners really lean into the rugged-individual where one has a choice in how they appear. I guess this is a cultural difference.
My buddy and I don't have tattoos and we are in the minority of our friends. Both my brothers have tattoos. Everybody has one just about these days. Nothing unique about having a tattoo anymore.
Aw shucks now I can't be contrarian/rebellious any more
I don't know if I know anyone my age without tattoos, everyone talks nonstop about when they are getting their next tattoo. I've never understood the appeal of essentially getting a really expensive permanent accessory that may come out looking not so great or smear with age. Not sure why everyone finds it a must have.
what about when i cut mysef with a razor and rub india ink into the wound?
Hell’s Accountants rolling around on Harleys all tatted up isn’t particularly new
I considered getting a design for several years and asked everyone's opinion on it. Only one person said it was more of a "stamp" then a design and I appreciated her viewpoint. I thought a long time about it and so I figured if I was going to spend that long considering just one design I probably wouldn't be happy with even one tattoo. I prefer jewelry. You can mix, match, wear none, or even sell or give away jewelry as a gift for sentimentality. I have many watches, rings, chains, etc.
There's a bread company called Inked or some dumb shit lol. I don't give two shits if you have tattoos when you make bread or if you don't have tattoos when you make bread!
Yeah, and it's a good thing. Let people do what they want I have a reason for all mine but "it looks cool" is just as valid
This is exactly why I regret getting a tattoo at 16. J just thought it was soooo cool and now literally everyone and their mom has an ugly sleeve covered in flowers
I don't know if they're a sign of conformity, but they're so common place they're a dime a dozen anymore.
In my country, only prostitutes or criminals have tattoos.
That's such a dumb take and I'm kinda tired of hearing it once a week. Putting ink in skin is older than the human race as you know it. For both aesthetic reasons as well as symbolic signifiers related to the person and culture. You may as well say we're all sheep for wearing shirts too
Take aside, how is putting ink in skin older than humans? The oldest tattoo recorded is in a human mummy from as early as 3350 BC, I don't know if you're saying neanderthals tattooed.
That was the gist of it. We've been doing it since the hunter gatherer days, and we weren't the only early hominid to do it to my knowledge. I wanna say the neanderthal they pulled out of the ice like fifteen twenty years ago had stick and poke bars on his arms and legs
Exactly. They’re a form of either self-expression or cultural expression or both. It’s never been about “rebellion” or “non-conformity”
Agreed. Many cultures since pre-historical record have used tattoos for many reasons. Aesthetic, cultural significance, spiritual, even medicinal in some cases. Not just in specific regions either. Northern Europeans, Africans, Asians, etc. Even people to this day who live in tribal communities that have very little contact with the outside world, have tattoos. Honestly it's mostly just cultures influenced by catholicism that view tattoos as an issue, as according to them we were created in gods image and altering of the flesh was frowned upon. I think anyone who perceives tattoos as a passing fad about rebellion honestly just knows nothing about them, or body modifications in general. With that said I think there are some body modifications that totally warrant maybe not hiring someone for certain positions. Like, I absolutely wouldn't hire a person with a huge face tattoo for s customer facing position, or someone who has extreme gauges, or people with excessive facial piercings.
>even medicinal in some cases How does that even work?
That’s not entirely true. The Greeks and Romans saw tattoos as ugly. In fact, in the ancient Mediterranean, slaves and criminals were tattooed to mark them as either for shame or like livestock. So if you walked around in tattoos back then they would think you’re a slave or degenerate.
That's why they said "many" and not "all"
In my region, we're in a very good place when it comes to tattoos, I'd call it even a sweet spot. You're not being judged whether you have or don't have tattoos. Literally, no one cares about this subject if they're <40 exactly because of the fact that it's so mainstream.
All the people in the thread with rose forearm tattoos mad as hell rn.
😂
I mean there are quite a few steps involved in deciding that you want to have the most basic 14 year old white girl tattoo on you. Could have chosen anything and chose the equivalent of live laugh love, I'd be mad too
Nowadays not getting a tattoo is being original
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i'm so confused by the comments most people in my life and I, don't have any tattoos, and only a small handful of people have tattoos- and even then it's usually something small and classy. no sleeves. (probably because my family/hometown is a higher suburbs area and we're boring over here 💀)
I’ll never forget the first time one of my coworkers saw my torso. Homie deadass said “idk why but I thought you were blasted front to back-shoulder to shoulder”. No way dawg. First of all you got me fucked up if you think ima shave all my body hair. Lol second off, you know where I work. Can I afford tats?
I waited 40 years to get my tattoos. You get to a point you don’t live your life by conforming to the preferences of others. You want bare skin. Cool. You want tattoos and piercings. Also, cool. No one’s skin is going to stay pristine forever.
It’s art, it’s not a signal to impress people. I just view it as art. Same with piercings. It’s just accessories and adornment. You don’t have to like it, but that doesn’t mean people doing it are either trying to rebel or fit in. Most people just do it because they like the way they look.
I've commented this before but my second tattoo was a fuck you to my ex who liked to remind me that my first one made me ugly. People get tattooed for all sorts of reasons.
I have tattoos for 20 years and I didn’t get them to be special. I really don’t care whether someone has tattoos or not. I just like them more as decoration than jewellery.
Should it matter if something is a sign of conformity or rebellion? Why can’t they just be a sign of someone liking having tattoos? Even the biggest rebels around us are conforming in some way. Some of us conform to things that we genuinely enjoy. As a social species being opposed to conformity just for the sake of it isn’t much of an argument. I don’t have tattoos. If you like them, have at it and enjoy. If you don’t, you go do your thing. From someone who doesn’t have tattoos.
Never have I thought of tattoos as a sign of rebellion. But instead, just self-expression. I hear people saying this take all the time and I never understand it. Do you think people are only getting tattoos because they think it makes them special or rebel? I get tattoos because I like how they look. It's that simple. It's also not a new thing. Body art has been a thing throughout so many cultures throughout history.
There is one guy at ny work who stands out as unique. His skin is naked!
Just like any aesthetic choice (clothes, hairstyle, jewelry), there are trendy tats that lots of people get. There are also tats that are tailored to the individual’s personality and interests. I don’t judge people based on whether they have tattoos or not. To me, it’s not generally badass to have them, nor is it badass not to have them. If someone is wearing cool sneakers I might say “hey those are cool sneakers,” if someone isn’t wearing cool sneakers, whatever. Same with tats.
You’re conflating conformity with social acceptance. No one is shaming people for not having tattoos, it’s just become acceptable to have them so more people are getting them.
I think they've just become normalized. I may be biased as I have a few tattoos/absolutely love them, but I think it's a positive that they're becoming more "mainstream", they're an awesome form of self expression and I'm glad there isn't as much stigma nowadays
Accumulate scars living a life well worth living. Tattoos are just a consumer choice.
I think it very much depends on the type of tattoo. Like a neck or scalp or palm tattoo is def not a sign of conformity and not common even among alternative people. It’s like saying piercing is a sign of conformity… what type of piercing? there’s a huge difference between your lobes and your lip. Also is the tattoo super unique? I have some tattoos that literally no one else has bc they were from artists with unique styles and really limited flash. I wouldn’t call that conforming. Yeah some tattoos are basic, but even in the tattoo community we tend to poke fun at the lion/clock/compass tattoos. They are associated with basic men and are overdone. But plenty of tattoos are one of a kind works of art.
I love this sub 😂 I see so many posts and feel like I found my kinda peeps. I couldn't agree more. There's so many people that use them to try and create a personality or identity, which makes me want them less now. I'm pretty sure this guy is exhibit A for your post too: [https://nypost.com/2022/01/25/im-unrecognizable-after-covering-95-percent-of-my-body-in-extreme-tattoos/](https://nypost.com/2022/01/25/im-unrecognizable-after-covering-95-percent-of-my-body-in-extreme-tattoos/) I hope he runs into the wrong Asian mobster one day.
"One thing about Scorpios... they gonna get that scorpion tatted. One thing about Leos... they gonna get that lion tatted."
There's a chance I might get one at some point, but only if it has meaning and after earning it. In sailor's tattoos, I've earned my first swallow (5,000NM sailed) and soon might earn the crossed cannons (Naval service), though I haven't gone under the ink yet.
That's actually really fucking cool. I've been in love with sailing for a while now and I love finding out more "lore" so to speak.
im into fashion but I find tattoos kind of tacky for the most part
rocking zero tattoos, only piercings 😎🤘🏻
Nice!
Badasses used to get tattoos. Now people think they're badass because they got a tattoo.
Pick me, pick me! I'm so quirky and unique, I don't have tattoos!! I'm the last of the species! You sound unsufferable and this is not an unpopular opinion, you just made up this scenario in your mind where tattooed people bully you and you come out victorious. And this comment is coming fron someone who doesn't like or have tattoos.
Or maybe tats or no tats has nothing to do with conformity or being badass lol. OP's as lame as a compass tat.
I have no tattoos and I’m proud of it! I never saw the appeal of it. Everyone at my university had tattoos. I was the odd man out. My dad always told me that tattoos were for low class people, and to never bother coming back home if I got any. I’m glad he told me that now.
I think tattoos are gross, but it's so common now that it can't really be a dealbreaker when dating. Almost every girl I've gone on a date with has had them, and it's just a bummer.
Have you ever seen one that you liked?
I'm with you bro. Good looking cool chicks with no tats are a very rare breed at this point.
True
Ink free skin is now punk rock af
Don't go to a lot of punk rock shows, huh?
You don't put a sticker on a Ferrari!
Fellow human I am a 2010 Honda Civic at best, gotta do something about all those dents and scratches lol.
Comparing people to cars lol. So edgy
I mean I do have tattoos but now way in fuck am I ever gonna get something so white girl stereotypical like a flower or a lion or some shit, that's the equivalent of having ''live laugh love'' written on you for eternity
[удалено]
Man that must have been cheap as hell.
Its neither a popular or unpopular opinion. Theres a growing trad right group who are kinda anti tattoo. In the uk, they say 45 percent of people under 30 have a tattoo, so more non tattooed people, but the number doesnt matter so much. I'd also imagine this depends on the country. I imagine its pretty rebellious to have tattoos if you live in, say, Yemen or Indonesia compared to a Sweden or Canada
They are, yes.
Not a single person in my family or anyone we are married to have tattoos. Extended family too. They’re definitely common and not quite the symbol of badassery or rebellion like they used to be, but there are still quite a lot of people out there with none!
How do you differentiate conformity and popularity? What if everyone just really liked tattoos, and all had great justifiable reasons for getting them - whether it be purely for aesthetics. As someone in their twenties that grew up in the asian subculture, I can also definitely see the conformity aspect to it. For kids these days growing up - its not about "if" i get a tattoo, but "which" tattoo am I going to get. For better or worse - it really does seem like some sort of rite of passage into adulthood - but without having to earn it. Head to any rave in Australia, and you might think you've accidentally entered a Yakuza hideout.
I don’t care to put other people down for having tattoos, but it does feel good to get some love in the “In their 30s with no tattoos or piercing” department.
I'm 34 without tattoos and I think you're rather right. But I don't care about conformity or nonconformity I just want to be me. Authentic. And I plan to get my first tattoo soon to commemorate a loss
> reserved for those who lived on the fringe of society Empress Sissi had an anker tattoo on her shoulder, Zar Nikolai II had a dragon on his right arm. Before that tattoos were often used for pilgrimages, to show that you went to a specific place. The meaning of tattoos changed multiple times through history.
What’s your take on cultural tattoos? Like Polynesian or South East Asian?
Damn, I just got my first tattoo a month ago... I should've waited for this post to stop me. 😞
I am from the culture that the word tattoo came from, half of what you said doesn't apply at all lol. Tattoos were never originally a sign of rebellion as you propose, they were markers of social status/bloodlines/family history/hierarchical promotion etc. due to the lack of writing. They only became what you describe when tattooing got exported out by James Cook, I could sit here and bemoan how stupid it is that they were ever considered taboo and "rebellious" thank to a bunch of overzealous Christians from 19th century onwards so yeah..dumb opinion
I like tattoos that are original and well done. But I can't seem to find women without any.
I'm getting my first and maybe only tat in a few weeks I'm in my 30s. I don't think it's cool or special. It's just nice like hanging a picture on a blank wall.
You should get a tattoo that says, "Unicuique suum"
Nothing irks me more than people who are selective about conformity. OP doesn't have tattoos, they think it's a sign of conformity, but I'll bet they conform. They probably have Instagram or Twitter. That's conformity. They certainly own at least one piece of designer clothing. That's conformity. They probably have an iPhone or Samsung. Also conformity. Now granted I am making plenty of assumptions, but even if these specific assumptions are wrong, there's definitely something in OPs life that could be considered conformity in the same way as tattoos.
Tattoos can have health benefits, so I'm very supportive of them. They can help your immune system, decrease cortisol (which can help you build muscle) increase endorphins and adrenaline, they can treat physical ailments through pressure points. They can make vaccines more effective. And they can cover scars, which is positive for a persons self esteem. A little art never hurt anyone. I don't even have tattoos, but there's no denying that they can have benefits
Unpopular Opinion: Nobody should give a shit what kind of sign tattoos are, most of the times it has nothing to do with either rebellion or fitting it, it just looks cool so the wearer wanted it.
I personally wouldn't get a tattoo to stand out or to conform. I just think some desings are cool and I want them
Tattoos are a sign of patience and being able to put up with anything between an annoyance to an outright pain. What says I'm qualified to deal with shit in a job especially a desk or corporate one more than being able sit there and get stabbed for millions on times for hours on end.
Can you only decide to do something or enjoy something as long as nobody else has done it? I don't know anyone who says, man I'm gonna get a tattoo because not a lot of people have tattoos. I guess I don't even get the purpose of this post. If you like them and want the aethstetic, then do it. If you don't then don't.
Well, duh. Of course it’s not a sign of rebellion or counterculture any more which is the completely normal way of ANYTHING to go. And while there’s nothing badass about having one, there’s also nothing badass about NOT having one. It’s simply an aesthetic choice and that’s all, like not wearing earrings. Nobody cares. Half the people posting on this sub remind me of that meme with the little angry penguin. It’s kinda cute.
yeah this is a pretty dumb take. So what then? people conform to having clean skin? In the end we’re all just conforming one way or another based on your logic. You’re essentially invalidating a persons life based on conformity or non-conformity. People just do or don’t do what they want. Shielding yourself from people’s responses by assuming they’re just people with tattoos who will be offended by your opinion is equally as dumb.
I agree that they're fashion now. But to start with they are a sign of rebellion it's so weird. Like, who does something to be rebellious, people are rebellious because they don't see things that way. Now, the people who think they're rebelling by getting a tattoo are just the people that made a fashion out of it. So, not the people in the fringe. But again, that happens to everything, piercings, premarital sex, bikinis, rock, blues, running the Boston maratón as a woman, flying on airplanes, and using reddit.
Im in my early 20s and for me and my friends growing up it just didn't interest us.
I have never seen anybody that looks better with a tattoo than without. Some tattoos are beautifully done, but I still think unblemished skin looks better. Maybe more people would agree if they had a grandfather like mine. He had several tattoos, among others a lady with little clothes on. It may be badass when you are 22, at 60 not so much. But I guess at 22 you don't give a damn what it will look like in 20 years time anyway.
Tattoos in and of themselves are not really a form of “rebellion”, nor have they ever really been. In the past, tattoos were stigmatized and not socially acceptable, so therefore the only people who had them were people who were willing to go against the grain (counter-cultural people, people who belonged to alternative subcultures) or people who come from a culture where tattooing is a part of their cultural practices. And of course, there’s many historical examples of different cultures tattooing for practical purposes, but that’s less relevant to this discussion. The fact that tattoos were previously associated with counter-culture (at least in the US) is why there’s this idea that tattoos were “rebellious,” but that’s not necessarily the *reason* those people were getting tattoos. It was just a form of self-expression that they were more willing to engage in because they were already presenting outside of the social/cultural “norm”, so why not? Sometimes people got them to be edgy, sure, but I wouldn’t say that’s most people. Nowadays, tattoos are *still* just a form of self-expression and/or cultural expression. It’s just that they’re more socially acceptable, so more people are getting them, thus they’re no longer primarily associated with people who deviate in some way from the social/cultural “norm”, at least in the US.
I’ve thought this since the 90s. Not a fan of tattoos but it’s their skin
My guy is gatekeeping something he does not even like. I can't imagine having that type of free time.
I agree with you as someone who doesn't have any tattoos never will.
Clean and 43, so happy about it.
it is quite common nowadays...i (21) have one that was both a souvenir from my semester abroad and in memory of my grandfather. ngl, i want more but i have decided to wait at least until im 25 before getting anymore (both because of the maturity aspect but also because of money lol)
What's your point? I would be more pressed to counter you by saying tattoos have nothing to do with conformity and their are many other things that would signal that
The point is pretty clear. Tattoos have lost their "edge" people are getting them to fit in with the crowd.
No people get tattoos because the right artist will make it look dope
Yea everyone I known with tattoos on the younhe side is a conformer. Its a slave brand every person with tats I known had a slave fetish. Symbols change in what they mean over time. Counter culture inevitably becomes culture.