A Tattoo?! Are You Crazy?!

♠ Posted by Kim Lucy in ,
One certainly does not need to be a sociopath in order to get tattoos, nor does the appearance of a tattoo mean that a person is one. However, numerous studies have shown that most sociopaths do indeed have tattoos as being one of their strongest common factors. In addition, a well-known crime writer stated in an interview that every single one of the many serial killers he had spoken with had had multiple tattoos. For many people, tattoos hold no negative connotation; for those who already have serious personality defects, tattoos are often a very visible symbol of it. For those in the latter category, everything about tattoos has an entirely different purpose and meaning than it does to the majority-- why they feel the need to get them, and what they represent.

Psychologists tend to refer to tattoos as "body modification;" and most have both very strong opinions and knowledge about how tattoos are connected to those who are in the minority. On the most clearly defined side, psychologists state that for those who already exhibit signs of personality defects, tattoos are but an extension of their anti-social personalities. It is said that these types of individuals who engage in drug use, promiscuity, and violence, merely make tattoos a part of that particular lifestyle.

Psychologists state that these traits, coupled with tattoos, are linked to subclinical psychopathy. In clearer terms, for this segment of the population, getting tattoos is yet another means of "thumbing one's nose" at society, and of displaying one's sense of self-importance. As one of the foundations of sociopathy is to refuse to adhere to what is generally considered to be acceptable behavior. given that tattoos still have some degree of negativity associated with them, they are of special allure to those who already have serious personality problems. For these people, acquiring tattoos is primarily an aggressive means of defying what is conventional.

In using tattoos in this manner, one also presents a "tough" image. The problem with this is when one uses what to most people is relatively harmless to portray a sense of toughness, it is rare that the individual in question will stop at artwork. For one who connects tattoos with toughness, aggression in his behavior is also a very real possibility.

While this fact is relevant to sociopaths in general, and cannot afford to be overlooked, it takes on an even darker side for those who commit serious violent crimes. In research regarding serial killers, a much worse connection comes up about tattoos. Continuing with the factors already evident in sociopaths, there are the additional factors of causing bodily harm and of refusing to let go. In plainer terms, these types of individuals gain tattoos-- often by their own attempts-- both as a means of expressing hatred and as a means of permanently holding on to the objects of their hatred.

On a slightly lesser but still important scale, as most of the individuals who fall into the categories of sociopaths and violent criminals were subjected to severe abuse in childhood, it is relevant to note that it is not unusual at all for them to display, in their adult life, tattoos with the name or some representative symbol of their abusive parent.

When facts like this are taken into consideration, even if much of the population isn't aware of it, it's no wonder tattoos have such a negative reputation. While it is true that most people in the United States of America choose to get tattoos for no negative reason and no underlying motives whatsoever, learning that tattoos are a common standard amongst sociopaths and serial killers does tend to lend a less-than-desirable quality to the entire subject.


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Celebrities and Their Tattoos

♠ Posted by Kim Lucy in ,,
When deciding on whether or not to get a tattoo, the first thing to think about is how the tattoo will be a permanent mark on the body. The next thing to consider is what the preferred style might be. Most tattoo parlors have samples of previous designs that can be altered to suit the customer. But what many people enjoy is sampling and mimicking what many of those whom we idolize might have already had created.



Today, celebrities influence much of what is done in society. Clothing styles, hair dos, things to eat, places to hang out and, yes, even tattoos are often influenced by many celebrities. There are more famous people that have tattoos than what has been originally thought. Some may be quite surprising.

As many people know, Angelina Jolie is one of the most popular tattooed actresses today. She flaunts over a dozen tattoos, each with their own meaning. Angelina Jolie is such a fan of tattoos that there are always plans for more in the future. In fact, she's made the tribal dragon tattoo the most popular among women.



When it comes to tattoos and famous actresses, it's certain that Pamela Anderson's name will be brought up. The arm band was made popular almost entirely due to Pamela Anderson. She also put an emphasis on the barbed wire tattoo as it's one of her most well known marks.

Mike Tyson sports a facial tattoo that is of Maori influence. While the tattoo didn't exactly cause a boom in applied facial tattoos, it does prove interesting among tattoo enthusiasts.



Johnny Depp is one highly acknowledge actor for having tattoos. He's decorated with over twelve known tattoos all with stories behind them. Depp's tattoo on his right bicep is the most well known. When Johnny Depp and Wynona Ryder were together, he had "Wynona Forever" tattooed on his arm. When the relationship ended, it was modified to say "Wino Forever." A good example of why tattoos should be thought through before taking the leap.



A group tattoo was made for those actors in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Each actor received a tattoo of the word "nine" written in Elvish script. Tattooed on different areas of the body, and a first tattoo for some, each member now has a permanent mark commemorating the making of the movies.

Other movie celebrities where we will find many tattoos to admire or copy include Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Gillian Anderson, Alyssa Milano, and Christina Ricci. We can also find tattoos in music artists such as Billy Idol, Eminem, Henry Rollins and Brittany Spears. Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, Anna Kournikova, and Stone Cold Steve Austin make up just a few of the sports models that flaunt their own ink.



This is just a sampling of a few of the tattoos that are likely to be found among celebrities. These people are acknowledged and admired for their style and personalities. Many of them have caused booms in the tattoo trends throughout the years with special emphasis on designs that closely resemble their own. It's not unusual or unheard of by tattoo artists to receive requests for a tattoo that looks just like one sported by the hip celebrity of the times.

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Are Tattoos An Addiction?

♠ Posted by Kim Lucy in ,
The longtime connection between tattoos and individuals of questionable character is not the sole account for why tattoos are frequently given a bad reputation. While of course this connection, which is becoming less and less of a factor as each generation progresses, has been true in many circumstances, the subject of tattoos in the present day has yet another cloud over its reputation; it is darker, and rarely based on the truth.



From both those who know and those who do not, there are frequent insinuations about the "addictive" characteristics of tattooing. Many people sport multiple tattoos; some have acquired them over a number of years or decades, while others make regular trips to their favorite tattoo studios, but arbitrarily labeling this as an "addiction" is unfair, unrealistic, and rarely based in fact. As each person has his or her own individual reason for getting tattoos, it is impossible to know what a person's reason is unless he or she states it. Some like artwork, some wish to honor a special person, some get tattoos in order to feel a part of some specific group, some people just enjoy spending money. In other words, most people have their own individual reasons for getting tattoos, and it is almost never a matter of being "addicted" to them.

There are two parts of this misconception. Both play a role in giving a bad reputation to the subject of tattoos as well as to the people who elect to get them. The first is that people are addicted to the tattoos themselves; the second misconception is that people are addicted to the process of getting them-- specifically, that they are "addicted to pain." One might wonder the mindset of anyone who states the latter opinion; but it certainly provides quite a scope of misunderstandings on the entire subject.

One tattoo artist, in remarking that tattoos are a "fever," had been referring to the simple, if odd, enjoyment which many of his clients had in being able to spend money to buy permanent artwork for themselves. "I think I'll get another one" was something often heard in his studio. This did not constitute "addiction" by any definition of the word. Nor, in his decades of practice as a tattoo artist, did he ever have a customer who even remotely enjoyed the discomfort of the tattooing process.

The word, and its mistaken applicability to tattoos, is often tossed around by those who know too well what the word "addiction" really means. Addiction is a compulsion, something over which a person has no self-control. Addiction cannot differentiate between a "want" and a "need." Individuals who do have numerous addictions-- drugs, alcohol, behaviors, etc.-- can very well become addicted to tattoos. However, that is certainly not the case for the majority of people who decide to get them. Most people who get tattoos do so simply because they want them; they do not possess the weakness of character which leads addicts in the position of being compelled to do something.

The concept that a person gets tattoos because he or she is addicted to pain and therefore enjoys the painful process of being tattooed can only come from either the most ignorant or those who have some personal issues of their own.

Unfortunately, both of these misconceptions shed a very negative light on both the subject of tattoos and the people who wear them. It is a bad reputation which neither deserve, for there is almost never any fact in either point of view. While there are those who get tattoos with less than desirable motives, most people who get them do so with no negative attachment to either the tattoos or the process whatsoever. The bottom line is if you find someone who is attempting to convince you that getting tattoos is an addiction, you've probably found someone who actually is an addict and does not realize that most people are not.

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