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Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

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Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#11

Post by rangersanger »

Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

There are definitely different categories of tattoos. From flash to full body art pieces, remembrances of pets, girlfriends names, things to cover up ex-girlfriends names.

There are absolutely tattoos one can get that are less likely to incur regret. It's like getting hardwood floors in your home instead of patterned or brightly colored carpet.

I see many millennials with full sleeves of flash art that means approximately nothing to to them, other than it looking cool and being very in at the moment. I think this is probably going to belong in the green carpet category.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#12

Post by muse900 »

Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

Before I went off to make a tattoo I had a conversation with my father.

He told me, why are you getting one? if you like something so much, tattoo it in your heart, not on your skin.

I am glad I listened to that advice and never got a tattoo. As you said interests change from time to time and at the end of the day you can be whoever you want to be within your brain, there is no need to show it off to others.

P.S. I got nothing against anyone that has a tattoo, the advice worked well for me, other people love to have tattoos etc.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#13

Post by Jaruzel »

golergka wrote: post #4
Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

I never got the tattoo, but when I talk to my friends who did, they usually describe it not as their personality, but as their personal history. This makes more sense: you change, but your past remains the same. As for getting tattoo about a particular thing you like, like a rock band, this seems a stupid thing to do indeed. Never knew a single person with a tattoo like that.

There's not much in my personal history I'd want to remember to be honest, which is why I look at it from a 'what do i like' point of view.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#14

Post by Swizec »

Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

I have tattoos. I think people who don't have tattoos over estimate how much thinking goes into having tattoos.

Your interests change blah blah. Yes they do. But you don't go around thinking every day about the tattoos you have. Most of the time you don't even notice they exist. It's like a cool looking mole or something. It's just there, part of your body, ignored until something makes you notice it.

Usually that something is a new person you're meeting. Now you have a cool and interesting story to tell, if you feel like. If you don't, you can just say "Eh it looks cool" and they're happy with that answer too.

I have a tattoo that looks cool. But it's also a reminder of my first ever solo trip abroad where I saved up all summer to go to London for 2 weeks at 19. That was cool. I could talk about that trip for hours.

I have a tattoo that's sentimental. A joint tattoo with my sister. I got something in her handwriting, she got something in mine. I have terrible handwriting, poor girl. But I'm pretty sure we will always stay brother & sister and the tattoos will have great sentimental value. Plus they look cool.

I have a dumb tattoo. It's on my butt. The logo of my first startup. But it's also the story of how I visited Silicon Valley for the first time ever with dreams so big.

I want more tattoos.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#15

Post by laktose »

Swizec wrote: post #14
Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

I have tattoos. I think people who don't have tattoos over estimate how much thinking goes into having tattoos. Your interests change blah blah. Yes they do. But you don't go around thinking every day about the tattoos you have. Most of the time you don't even notice they exist. It's like a cool looking mole or something. It's just there, part of your body, ignored until something makes you notice it. Usually that so…

> I think people who don't have tattoos over estimate how much thinking goes into having tattoos.

I agree. I have two tattoos that make me laugh, and they usually make others laugh the first time they see them too. One is symbolic (but still stupid and funny), the other one is just stupid and makes people laugh, which in turn makes me laugh.

It doesn't have to be profound or represent you as a person or have some deep symbolic eternal meaning, I look at it as a way to make my skin look less boring.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#16

Post by minikites »

Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

>Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd

A big part of my decision to start getting tattoos in my late 20s and early 30s was talking with people who had them, many of whom advised staying away from such specific things. Add a level or two of abstraction, so your tattoo can be enjoyed on more than one level, because it's about more than one thing. Maybe instead of getting the cover of "Animals" by Pink Floyd, get a tattoo of three different looking pigs, like the song. That way if you end up disliking Pink Floyd, you have an artful tattoo of three pigs instead of something that can't be anything else.

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#17

Post by DiThi »

amelius wrote: post #3
Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

Yes. Someone should develop the skin-equivalent of e-paper :)

It exists already! (kind of... the ink is implanted but the active part is a gadget) https://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/moodinq-tattoo.shtml

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#18

Post by jacobevelyn »

Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

I hear this sentiment a lot (mostly from folks without tattoos), but not every tattoo needs to have some deep lifelong meaning that will never change. My tattoo is relatively meaningless and whimsical, which actually has sort of become its meaning in a way.

There's a picture of it in this piece I wrote about my tattoo artist: https://medium.com/@jacobevelyn/communications-ink-773642f6f...

And some examples of the "whimsical" side of it on this website I made: http://www.thattat.com/#13

Re: Tattoo You: Immune System Cells Help Keep Ink in Its Place

#20

Post by Jaruzel »

minikites wrote: post #16
Jaruzel wrote: post #2

I love tattoos. I really do. Just not on me. People go through cycles, where their personalities and interests shift every decade or so. Hardly anyone in the 40s and 50s is the same person they were in their 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and I love (in no particular order), Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd ... and that's just my top ten, right now .…

>Iron Maiden, Spiderman, Sci-Fi, LEGO, The Amiga Computer, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, Pink Floyd A big part of my decision to start getting tattoos in my late 20s and early 30s was talking with people who had them, many of whom advised staying away from such specific things. Add a level or two of abstraction, so your tattoo can be enjoyed on more than one level, because it's about more than one thing. Mayb…

> ...if you end up disliking Pink Floyd

Can't see that happening. :) But good advice none the less.

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