Thinking about a tattoo

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Get it or don't get it, end of the day it's your body so do whatever you like with.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I think if you can cover it up there's no issue to think about at all, and hearing your reasoning I'd go ahead.
Tats are of course rather normal these days and something fairly discreet isn't ever going to raise any eyebrows. Perhaps with some very stark tattoos then rightly or wrongly there could be some that could draw an inference of some sort, at least initially. I think you get that, and I don't think you're going extreme or tacky.

By the way I don't subscribe to this maxim of "don't give a fig what other people think", we still live in a largely civilised society where taking other peoples comfort into account should be a mark of a polite and civilised person. If I'm going to a business meeting, job interview, funeral, whatever, I'm washed, shaved, decent clothes ironed etc, that's more for their comfort, not necessarily mine. I could say "I don't give a fig what they think of me", but it'd be really rude of me to do otherwise and turn up looking like I'm erm, "challenging societal norms". In other words, if I had tattoos I'd want to be able to make them less noticeable in some social situations.

 

[Drago]

If people aren't happy to accept me as I am in social situations , then theyre not worth being social with in the first place.

 

[Oldhippy]

I look like I look, not bothered about what anyone thinks.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Tats done tastefully and in the right place is acceptable even in the workplace and in professional setting. Just make sure it does not go out of fashion quickly.

 

[Bollo]

No tats myself but I do have a couple of books on Russian Criminal Tattoos. They represented a kind of underworld CV and often included signifiers of rank, sentence history and criminal speciality. Owners were expected to “stand by their tattoos” and unearned tats would be removed by a knife, sandpaper, brick dust and sometimes amputation. So don’t copy them!

Warning! Really not safe for work, especially if anyone nearby can read a bit of Russian

http://fuel-design.com/russian-criminal-tattoo-archive/drawings/

 

[Craig the cyclist]

The tattoo I regret was one of those I got on impulse based on a picture in a tattoo shop window. I was 18 or so and probably not entirely sober. It doesn't have any meaning or relevance to me in particular.

The one I'm thinking about now (and have been for some time) has particular meaning. For most of my life I wasn't a nice guy and hurt people around me - partners, friends, family and so on but about 10 years ago I swore I would change and I try to be a better husband, colleague, friend, father, son, grandfather every day - a better man. But it's not always easy because I still have a quick temper, I still hold grudges, I still sometimes speak first and regret later so the slogan "be a better man" is the touchstone that makes me consider what I say and do. Having it visible will reinforce it. If it makes me a better person to be around well, hey, what's the harm?

As to the scar fading - it's been 30 years and I still see it all the time. Sometimes people I work with see it and I see them look at me differently. I don't like it.

My question wasn't so much about justifying the tattoo - although some of the comments here have maybe helped me crystalise my thinking - it was to do with the social acceptability of tattoos in the professional workplace. I will be able to cover it up should I need to, but I'm not so sure people need to any more.

A lot this resonates with me. I was a right tosspot for a long time (some would say I still I am), violent, nasty short tempered and gave 0 f***s.

Then late 20s early 30s I changed a lot, a very lot. I guess I became 'a better man', but sometimes now I feel I don't deserve most of what I have. A more rational me would say that actually I do, because, like you sound to have done, I have worked hard on me, my career, my attitude and my level of f***s I give.

I don't know what you are trying to cover up, but if that bothers you, then cover it and move on. It will never go away, but you can spend the remaining years looking on something positive in the here and now, rather than a negative memory that weighs heavily.

 

[Profpointy]

This thread reminded me of this photo

and some of the pitfalls of slogans in an exotic script reminded me of a story of someone wanting a chinese proverb on the dedication page of this PhD thesis "it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" - which refers to learning and education, and I think the PhD was on physics of light so was doubly apt. Anyhow he decided it would be more cool in chinese character so asked his chinese colleagues for help, and deadline looming, a piece of paper with chinese writing was left on his desk, which seemed to be on the right lines from a quick check, so he got it printed and bound. Someone then owned up it said "store in a cool dry place away from sunlight" and had been copied off a packet of noodles. Given the fate of a PhD thesis is to be left unread in the university library it seemed quite apt after all

 

[AndyRM]

No tats myself but I do have a couple of books on Russian Criminal Tattoos. They represented a kind of underworld CV and often included signifiers of rank, sentence history and criminal speciality. Owners were expected to “stand by their tattoos” and unearned tats would be removed by a knife, sandpaper, brick dust and sometimes amputation. So don’t copy them!

Warning! Really not safe for work, especially if anyone nearby can read a bit of Russian

http://fuel-design.com/russian-criminal-tattoo-archive/drawings/

I've not done "proper" time, but prison ink is very much a thing all over the world, but the Russians take it to the next level.

 

[Fnaar]

I'm gonna have a W tattooed on each buttock, so when I bend down, it says WoW

 

[Fnaar]

I'm gonna have my birthplace tattooed on my penis. Ah, those heady days in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

 

[Chislenko]

I have Llandudno tattooed on my penis but most of the time it is shortened to Ludo.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

I'm gonna have a W tattooed on each buttock, so when I bend down, it says WoW

Are you sure it won't say WOW ?

 

[Scotty55]

some tattoo inks contain metal. Can cause problems with MRI scans.

 

[Drago]

Ive had a few MRI's over the years and not exploded yet.