Today, only the lazy does not make a tattoo, and many do not stop at one drawing. What is it — craving for beauty or addiction? The influence of the environment or a tribute to modern culture? The psychologist shares his thoughts.
According to psychologist Kirby Farrell, one can speak of addiction only when a person experiences a strong, insurmountable desire that prevents him from leading a normal life. Tattoo is first and foremost an art. And any art, from cooking to literary creativity, makes our life more beautiful and meaningful.
Tattoos attract the attention of others, which increases our self-esteem. We feel proud to share this beauty with them. But the problem is that any work of art is imperfect and its charm is not infinite.
Time passes, and the tattoo becomes familiar both for ourselves and for others. Also, fashion is changing. If last year everyone was pricked with hieroglyphs, today, for example, flowers can be in fashion.
It’s even sadder if a tattoo with the name of an ex-partner regularly reminds us of a breakup. It also happens that people are simply bored with their tattoos, which no longer correspond to their outlook on life.
One way or another, at some point, the tattoo ceases to please
It becomes indifferent to us or causes negative emotions. But we remember the excitement we felt when we first made it, and we want to experience those emotions again. The easiest way to feel joy and arouse the admiration of others is to get a new tattoo. And then another one — and so on until there are no free places on the body.
Such an addiction, as a rule, occurs in people who perceive beauty as something tangible, and not as a spiritual experience. They easily become dependent on the opinions of others, fashion and other external factors.
Some believe that in the process of getting a tattoo in the body, the level of endorphin and adrenaline rises, which means that their choice is influenced by neurophysiology. However, much depends on the person himself. Different people perceive the same events differently.
For some people, a visit to the dentist is a common thing, while for others it is a tragedy.
Sometimes people get tattoos to experience pain. Suffering makes their impressions stronger and more meaningful. For example, Shiite Muslims or medieval saints deliberately stigmatized themselves, while Christians sang the torments of crucifixion.
You don’t have to look far for examples and remember that some women regularly wax their bikini area because they think it enhances sexual pleasure.
Perhaps you consider getting a tattoo a proof of your own courage. This experience is very valuable for you, as long as you remember the pain, and others pay attention to the tattoo.
Gradually, memories become less vivid, and the significance of the tattoo decreases.
We adapt daily to a changing life. And art is one of the tools of adaptation. Today, however, art is competitive. There is a fashion for painting, poetry and interior design. And in the pursuit of fashion, we get cliched beauty and monotonous art.
Brands manipulate us through advertising. And few people can resist this, because they understand that real beauty is deep inside. We live in a world of stereotypes that television and the Internet impose on us. We are more concerned with the number of virtual friends than the quality of real relationships.
By making new tattoos, we convince ourselves that we now look more modern or more beautiful. But this is only superficial beauty.