Generally, tattoos seem to be frowned upon. Society has built up this image that people with tattoos are scary, irresponsible, unreliable, and overall bad. But why? Why is it that putting a quote or image that you admire on your skin automatically makes you a bad person with no future or ambitions? Someone who is "clearly insecure about themselves." Someone who “must have issues at home." I’ve heard it all, seen it all, and am very tired of it all.
As someone who has a tattoo and plans on getting many more, I believe it is way overdue that tattoo stereotypes come to an end. Why is it that whenever someone glances at my thigh when I’m wearing shorts or a skirt that I immediately sense a vibe, good or bad, on how they view me as a person? As a society, we are always talking about how the idea of judging a book by its cover is something that shouldn’t take place; meanwhile society constantly does so when judging people who have tattoos. For some reason, a tattoo causes people to look at you differently. People form assumptions without a second thought and unfortunately, there’s no changing what people think if they never give you a chance to show them who you really are.
Why should a bit of ink define who I or anyone else is? As a society, we should all have the right to express ourselves how we like and to do what we want with our own bodies. It’s our right and we should be supporting it. Whether that’s changing our hair color or cut, working out or changing our lifestyle, or getting a piercing or tattoo, it’s about time that we start putting this idea of judging others before we even know them to rest. You never know the story behind a person's work of art - and whether there is one or not, we should stop worrying about what other people are doing with their lives and bodies and focus on our own.
Fortunately, I do believe that society is becoming more accepting of ink on skin as the generations get younger and it is something we are more accustomed to. However, it's to our parents, grandparents, and future employers who we as millennials need to spread to word that tattoos don’t mean you are a bad person. A tattoo does not mean you are insecure about yourself. A tattoo means you are confident. You know who you are and you want to be able to show that off to the world. Some people may view a tattoo as a spontaneous decision that is bound to be regretted. I see getting a tattoo as dedication to something you know you can never change and never want to - a tribute to the past, present, and future that there will always be a part of you that will stay the same, no matter what.
It’s all perspective, as with everything, and if we stop giving in to these tattoo stereotypes that seem to be everywhere we look, maybe people will stop merely seeing the tattoo, but also the talent behind it.
