The ancient saying, "don't judge a book by its cover" has come a long way from a metaphorical meaning to quite a literal meaning. Traditionally, people with tattoos generations before us were stereotypically thought of as tough and rebellious characters. Today, you see teachers, nurses, and business professionals covered in tattoos. It's because the tattoo trend has evolved over generations and developed a new meaning: self expression.
I understand the relevance of professionalism in the work field, but majority of the tattoos people get are in places that are easy to hide. Aside from the hands, neck, and face, tattoos can be covered by clothing and shoes. However, the truth of the matter is tattoos are becoming more and more acceptable in workplaces that once held even the strictest standards of professionalism. Our generation is booming with 20-something-year-old entrepreneurs who recognize trivial body modifications as, well, trivial. These executives have a tight grip on their definition of intelligence and work ethic, and know better than to judge someone by their looks.
The more tattoos become popular, the more of an art they seem to become. There are professional artists and well profound shops all over the world, different styles and themes to distinguish your design from, and a delicate method to this madness. People will argue, "Why get a tattoo? It's on your skin for the rest of your life." Yes, they are, but that's nothing new to discuss. Everyone knows that the everlasting effects of tattoos are a guarantee, so to discriminate against the art of tattoos as a whole is the same as discriminating against any other form of art whether it be painting, drawing, or sculpting. But in the same sense, just because you don't like Van Gogh's A Starry Night, for example, doesn't mean you don't love or appreciate all 19th century paintings.
The more generations expand, the more common standards seem to break. Rock n' roll was stereotyped by the same assumptions. Parents at the time thought rock encouraged aggressive, violent behavior associated with drugs, alcohol and sex (which it very well might have), but what they didn't focus on was that rock created a barrier between kids and adults. It paved the way for originality, distinctiveness, and self-expression in the 60's. Tattoos aren't much different in that sense. The freedom to individualize yourself through art is a practice that has been encouraged for generations, we just take the rule breaking a little too far, but hey, that must just be our rebellious attitudes talking.
