Friday, November 27, 2009

Tattoos, And The Psychology Behind Them

In today's twenty-first century society many people actually tend to misjudge tattoos, and the wearers of tattoos. These people who see someone bearing many tattoos will automatically think negative, pre-conceived, even stereotypical thoughts. Those who have tattoos are the same as you or i, except for the fact that they wish to visually stand out and broadcast who they are. They do this because the majority of them have a strong sense of who they are. Those with tattoos aren't afraid to show them, as they put them on their body to let others know who they are and what they are about. They wear their "tatts" with pride!

Most who decide to look into the psychology of those with tattoos seem to associate them as criminals and study them with this blinkered, society-conceived view. Contrary to the opinion shared by many so-called experts, those who have tattoos aren't stereotypical type of people, but are often times actually quite independent. They are out there expressing their freedom of expression. Whether they are expressing what they believe, showing that they belong to a group or clan, or paying homage to the dearly-departed - there are always meanings behind the choices of and displaying of tattoos.

The psychologists who attempt to study those with tattoos normally try to get into their frame of mind to answer why they choose to have tattoos - which in itself is hard to do. For hundreds of years tattoos have been debated from a psychological standpoint; with most people associating tattoos, and the wearers of those as bad people, or criminals. Even though criminals may have tattoos, there are just as many if not more people out there who are some of the friendliest people in the world who have them as well.

To look at tattoos from a psychological standpoint can sometimes be hypocritical. Although those who don't have tattoos will try and figure out why someone would want them, it can still be considered a psychological point of view. Those who have tattoos almost always have a reason for getting them, rarely are they got for no reason.

No matter where you look these days it's a common thing to see someone with at least one tattoo. This doesn't mean that society is less moral in any way, nor does it mean that mankind is becoming branded with a herd-like mentality. Tattoos have built there own reputation over the years, and are in fact gaining in popularity. Over the years more and more people have decided to get them - which only goes to show the age-less phenomenon that are tattoos.

When you decide to look at the psychology of tattoos, you must first try and understand some of the meanings behind them. A tattoo can tell you a lot about the individual who is wearing it, and his past. Although some tattoos may be a somewhat offensive, that individual may have got the tattoos in the past when they were a different person maybe going through a 'stage'. They may not be anything like that now. As with others out there - the tattoos that were obtained in the past may be left as a reminder for the future.