Comments on: Ink Nation: What’s behind the tattoo obsession?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 05:18:53 +0000

I’m really looking forward to getting tattoos in the future. I really love the way in which tattoos look, and already plan on were to get them. I feel like tattoos express myself. Right now I’m 12 years old.

By: In a Nutshell

In a Nutshell — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 18:24:52 +0000

Hi Luke,

Thanks for your comment. Our blog underwent some changes since the time that this article was posted and the author no longer writes for us. Generating a discussion with Tom on a subject that none of the current authors posted about didn’t feel right. We have the ability to allow and disallow comments on our site; if we wanted to ignore it or push a “Pro-Tattoo” agenda, we would have simply hidden it. In any case, we appreciate your comment as it reminds us to reply to all comments received on the site. Thanks for reading!

By: Luke

Luke — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 01:50:05 +0000

That was so nice of you to completely ignore Tom’s objective analysis and go straight for the girl who is thinking about joining your Pro-Tattoo team, so to speak.

By: In a Nutshell

In a Nutshell — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 13:51:41 +0000

Thanks for reading Andrea!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 05:32:40 +0000

I really liked your perspective Jess; I don’t have a tattoo but am much more on the ‘considering/will probably get in future’ than the critical/disapproving side. Mostly in the middle, though. Found this after searching about understanding the ‘why’…and in reference to the other comment I think that it is possible to understand someone different to oneself, but that its all about empathy i.e. letting go of one’s self with all its preconceptions and prejudices, and ‘being’ the other for a bit, then utilising the insight gained to have appreciation.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 10:08:48 +0000

Now do a piece on…. piercings, body mods, implants, reductions/enhancements etc.. I think the whole thing is less about social gratification and more focused on psychology. When those numbers like you put 18% or more grow it becomes more a question of “if everyone’s doing it why shouldn’t I” I’m not saying it is absurd. What I am thinking is perhaps it has nothing to do with society and more to do with an individuals upbringing. Sure I knew allot of people in school who had tattoos, but I also knew an even greater sum who didn’t have them. Perhaps I’m sounding cynical here I’m sorry if I am, I don’t have any tattoos and like you said someone like myself would never understand. However that isn’t exactly the whole picture now is it, one could just as easily say someone with tattoos could never understand what it means to be normal. Again not throwing words around, just pointing out that it is more psychological than it is anything else.