Piercings?

[jtalama]

Reminds me of Intro to Counseling and the Halo Effect. Expression does come with societal consequences, unfortunately. Be who you want to be, understand that expression does come with consequences but know that some of the most ignorant people will judge your character by your appearance.

[submissiongrappler]

Reminds me of Intro to Counseling and the Halo Effect. Expression does come with societal consequences, unfortunately. Be who you want to be, understand that expression does come with consequences but know that some of the most ignorant people will judge your character by your appearance.

You mean to tell me you don't judge a person by his appearance? I think we all do. It is the first thing we see and it is the first thing we are able to evaluate on. I strongly believe that a person's character is often reflected through his appearance. A person's expression is the first indicator of his affiliation with a group or an idea. Sometimes you need those indicators as your life could depend on it.

[jtalama]

I never said that I didn't. I don't judge character by appearance alone. Doubtful I'll ever need to stereotype people in order to save my life.

[submissiongrappler]

I never said that I didn't. I don't judge character by appearance alone. Doubtful I'll ever need to stereotype people in order to save my life.

Well, you don't. You confirmed that by your second sentence.

That aside, I strongly disagree with your claim that ignorance is the cause for judging people on their appearance alone. Law Enforcement, soldiers, body-guards, bouncers, and even those who are just self-aware of their surroundings analyze the people around them. Of course, these men and woman are ignorant because they judge (and rather quickly) a person motivates (often reflects a person character) based on their outward appearance. If you want to believe that sticking your head into the sand and not discerning those who are part of the wrong crowd because you feel as though its judging them, and their character, then more power to you. But I do not think it is proper to call these people ignorant.

[Kaz]

Large gauge piercings can be life-long decisions, unless someone has the funds to pay for reconstructive surgeries. For people with huge holes in their lobes (or wherever else, eck), they can take them out, but then it looks even worse and are not likely to close and heal without medical intervention.

Tattoos can be removed, but it is a long and painful process. I cringe when I hear of people that went on a whim and got tattooed, particularly on necks, faces, arms, and other visible places. I wish more tattoo and piercing artists were like the one I found. She does not do same-day artwork; we worked for a few weeks on the design, then once agreed, scheduled an appointment two weeks later to allow time for cold feet to set in. At the first meeting to design, she asked what I do for a living and made recommendations to keep it contained where it would not affect work/life needs. They do body piercings there as well, and appeared to follow the same later appointment policy in case someone's impulse fades after a bit of thought. She said it does mean missed appointments and loss of money, but they feel better knowing they are less likely to be party to a later regret.

Yeah I know all that but none of that has anything to do with the post I asked about. Most of my friends have ink and/or piercings of all sorts, it's old hat to me. I asked marianne202 a question about something specific she said because her son got one normal piercing in one ear and I wasn't sure why that counted as a lifelong commitment since I did essentially the same thing when I was his age and it certainly wasn't any kind of commitment at all. She answered and I understood where she was coming from.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Moments after Deborah Davidson gave birth, her premature babies — both of whom died post-delivery in the mid-1970s — were brusquely taken away. She never got to see them, to hold them, or even to say goodbye.

Today, the York University sociologist honours their brief lives with two butterfly tattoos on her leg, and is fascinated by the vast number of Canadians who have inked similar tributes on their own flesh. To that end, Davidson is developing what she believes will be the world’s first comprehensive digital archive of memorial tattoos, envisioned as a “cultural heritage site” for the various remembrances — lost loves, deceased pets, and even expired relationships — that literally left their mark on those left behind.

“These tattoos open dialogue about the deceased, and about people’s experiences of love and loss,” said Davidson. “Their loved ones are embodied permanently on them, so they’re permanently with them.”

Currently in the prototype phase, the archive will include photos of memorial tattoos, along with written, audio, and video narratives putting the images in context.

Professor Davidson is my Mom, of whom I'm very proud!
The butterflies commemorate my brother and sister.

The walking dead: Lost loved ones live on through tattoos (Misty Harris, canada.com, August 13, 2013)

More:
Tattoo library being assembled by York professor (CBC News, August 13, 2013)
'Memorial tattoos' help the bereaved remember lost loved ones (Eric Andrew-Gee, Toronto Star, August 12, 2013)
Inked in: York prof to launch first digital archive of memorial tattoos (YFile, York University, August 12, 2013)

[ironheadjack]

I always advise against piercings that can't be covered. I also advise against any gauges. If you try to join the military, they will make you surgically close any gauge holes in your ears if you enlist. Plus, having 33 piercings, and the ability to let the size of a small rat past through a hole in your ear, doesn't look all that appealing.

I knew many guys and gals in the Army who had at least 0 size gauged holes in their ears, and didn't have to get surgery to join.(If you are not familiar with gauge sizes, a 0 is quite a noticeable sized hole) So IDK who told you about forced surgeries.....?


I have many tattoos, both arms and both legs are covered, and currently have 4 earrings. Having all those tattoos including my fingers tattooed, didn't stop me from enlisting in the Army and getting a TS/SCI clearance.

IMO, the prejudice that follows people with tattoos and piercings will slowly wane away, once the younger generation becomes the majority in the workforce, business, education, etc..

[EI2HCB]

As submissiongrappler noted, we make assessments every time we look at someone. At least I do, I believe it's part of our natural instinct towards survival. Some it can be conditioned or reinforced by stereotypes. Tattoos and cuts are displays of membership in certain cultures and sometimes membership in that particular group requires a style of living or acting. Coptic Christians I know in Egypt all have tattoos of crosses on one of their hands as children so that if they are kidnapped by the majority it can be proven that they are Coptic.
Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised at the good character of people who I've gotten to know who I'd normally not offer a job to because of their visible displays of membership in a sub-group. I don't have Tattoos but I believe society in the United States will eventually be so saturated with body art that it won't make a difference to those who are hiring and firing. Starbucks insists that my colleagues tattoos are covered while on duty as did KFC when I worked for them so certain corporate entities may take a while longer to adjust to new norms.

[sklineho]

I've been a bass player and drummer in rock bands for years so I've been around a lot of people with tattoos and piercings. I have neither and don't intend to change that. I find them pointless but to each their own. If people like them, more power to them.