Tatts are the body equivalent of the graffiti 'artwork' on the walls of Council toilets.

The difference is that sugar soap and paint fix toilet walls. Until the next Houso expresses his or her mentality with vandalism.

Tribal tattoos are cruel torture inflicted mainly on adolescent boys to continue worthless superstition and harmful ethnic separateness. Maybe they are the ones who should be 'diversified'.

'It would appear the key reason for the increase in tattooing is simply the increasing rise of vain glory and Idolatry in the Western secular world '

you have hit the nail on the head aga. the same thing is shown by the amount of boob enlargements and other unnecessary operations whereby 'self ' esteem is promoted above everything. Usually it leads to less self esteem as people can't hide from their corrupt natures. Suicide just increases as idolatry and 'vain'glory is promoted by those who should no better.

Is getting a tatt a good idea?

Heavy tatt wearers may well regret their youthful choices - when they hit 50. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_removal#Motives :

"A poll conducted in January 2012 by Harris Interactive reported that 1 in 8 (14%) of the 21% of American adults who have a tattoo regret getting one. The poll didn't report the reasons for these regrets, but a poll that was done 4 years prior reported that the most common reasons were "too young when I got the tattoo" (20%), "it's permanent" and "I'm marked for life" (19%), and "I just don't like it" (18%)."

In about 20 years when tatts are daggy and out of style - tatt removers, charging like plastic surgeons, are going to empty bank accounts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_removal#Number_of_laser_tattoo_removal_treatment_sessions_needed :

"Complete laser tattoo removal requires numerous treatment sessions"

I think there is a lot of money to be made by the person who invents a semi-permanent ink which will give you a two-year tattoo. Then you could become a cleanskin again or go for a whole new skin decor.

Tattoos seem to be like photographs and facebook: the memory of people and events is no longer enough, they have to be recorded on your body or fixed permanently in cyberspace for them to have any meaning. Why engrave the name of your child on your skin - are you likely to forget it?

Tatts are a big yawn. So common these days that they are meaningless.

People get tatts to distinguish themselves from the mainstream and give themselves some greater perception of individuality. But now so many ordinary people have them that they are just right in there as part of the mainstream, and lacking in individuality! Sort of like bikies really!

I don’t think highly of people with tatts. But do I find them offensive? Nope.

It’s not something I’d ever contemplate doing, simply because there seems to be nothing to be gained from it.

Sophie, I wouldn’t be offended by them. And if you pass them off as being passé when you encounter them with your son, then I’m sure he won’t find them offensive either. I think that he would pick up on your reaction and comments more than what he might see in them himself.

And um… I’d never be offended by full public nudity either. It is such a silly indoctrination in our society that we should find such a thing offensive or embarrassing.

My only tattoo is an image of Azaria being chased up my bum-hole by a dingo, and only special people see that.
It is our basic human right to make ourselves as ugly as possible, no matter how much it costs or what risks of infection it involves. Like all of my 'tribe' I am expressing my individuality. I pity all of those brain dead people who fail to get at least one tattoo before getting inked goes out of fashion. A big spider on the throat is popular this week.