SuicideGirl: Jaeci
suicidegirl

Jaeci has been wide awake since 1987.

I’m private
 
JULY 14, 2010 @ 02:45 PM


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=survival-of-the-tattooed

Check out this article-- pretty intriguing. Give it a read and I'd like to know what you think-- why do *you* get tattooed/pierced and do you have any theories about why others do, or what it means evolutionarily?
Comments
Dwam

Dwam

SUICIDEGIRL

France

JUL 14, 2010 03:10 PM

Well, I think very often, evolutionarist theory and sociologist psychologists shits are just shits. Why people choose this or that ? Why do we eat cupcakes for tea time ? Why do I wear unmatched socks ? Does it reveal a psychologic disorder, or that I'm one of the finest step of evolution ? Yada yada.....

Yulia

Yulia

SUICIDEGIRL

Canada

JUL 14, 2010 03:16 PM

I say coincidence.

I still get tattoos ultimately because I like how they look. Some mean things to me and some don't, but all are visuals I like. And I get kinda high on life from the process of getting tattooed, whatever that says about me.

suispud1

suispud1

Dallas, TX
January 2010

JUL 14, 2010 04:02 PM

i'm not tattooed or pierced so I don't why people do it, but I just suspect there are as many reasons as there are people. Rebellion against authority, aesthetics etc., many reasons. And some societal mores condemn for as many reasons.

StCyr

StCyr

Louisville, KY
March 2007

JUL 14, 2010 04:44 PM

I've heard some lame evolutionary theories before, but this may be the worst. Absolute rubbish in my opinion. I like tattoos. Always have. Therefore, I get tattoos. I prefer symmetry to randomness, so mine tend to be "balanced," [but I also like single sleeves, etc.] However, I seriously doubt this has anything to do with my ancestors creeping around in the primordial ooze.

78walk

78walk

Oklahoma City, OK
July 2005

JUL 14, 2010 11:56 PM

Interesting study but there's no science in that third paragraph, just some unsubstantiated speculation. The general public often fails to grasp that it's much easier to collect data than it is to reach firm, scientifically valid conclusions based on that data, but actual scientists ought to know better.

What's clear to me is that having tattoos and piercings has become far more common and socially acceptable in recent years than it ever was throughout the previous years of my lifetime. The ready availability of colored inks is one factor, especially for girls. There definitely is an aspect of social approval involved, especially for younger people. More than that, I would have to say that in 2010, any girl in her late teens or early twenties who has zero tattoos or piercings (setting religion-based abstinence aside) is likely to be seen as a social outcast.

But when you try to figure out what it all means, things get murky very fast. It's possible there could be some important long-term social significance, but it's also possible it could simply be a fad. I doubt that there's any definitive scientific answer to the question right now. Time will tell... smile

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