Mind sets -- my dear old mother had pierced ears, other than that, no idea?
I'm interested in putting something on my skin but I can't quite find what...

All kinds of mind sets come to mind with that statement.

Some get ink to improve their look.
Some get ink to establish their rank in a setting.
Others get ink because they are addicted to it.
Then again others have a moment in life that they wish to keep forever and show the world.

Mine are a combination of all those reasons and more. It is a perrsonal thing that I do not waste a lot of money on anymore. Good art work is not cheap. You get what you pay for.

I like the

As they are slick looking and crisp and clean. Good japanese art work is another favorite of mine.

Forgot to mention. Good Celtic and Nordic rune designs are also nice.

Tattoo art work is so old and timeless and new and innovating.
Like Linux.

Choice is so vast that it can be intimidating making a decision.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...e8357ee559.jpg

Because I like them. And I started getting ink long before it became a fashion.* At that time there were only two tattoo parlours in the city were I grew up.

* Tattoos are a really stupid fashion. They cannot be changed or discarded, but people are stupid and will follow anything that become a fashion.

I have one tattoo that covers my arms, chest and upper back. Why? Because I think one big one is better than a few small ones.

Only the images I first designed. In hindsight, I would have designed the entire tattoo as one huge picture, but I was not planning on getting so much ink when I started.

That would be difficult. Removing the tattoo would required having my upper body flayed, which I not an attractive prospect.

There was also a comment earlier in the thread about people who do not like tattoos do not get them. That is not true. Many people like them, but would never get them. For example; my mother thinks my tattoo beautiful. She just wishes it was on someone else.

Totally agree with that. I love seeing other people's ink but don't have any myself.

I have a friend who got a tattoo of his girlfriend name on his d..k. tattooing damaged his penis nervous system and caused a painful eternal erection. Even a set of surgeries didn't solve the problem. After a while they broke up and now he left alone with a c..k the will never sleep.

This is a sad story of third world, where we blindly imitate worst aspects of western culture.

Tattoos are not Eastern, Western, Indian, African or from anywhere else. They have been around for thousands of years all over the world.

The girl/boyfriend name is not very intelligent, but another really stupid thing people do is get tattoos of writing in languages they cannot read. I could tell you a few humorous stories.

I have no doubt that somebody in the "first world" has done that also. Though, I suppose, the tattooists here, or in the US for example, would be less likely to cause damage such as that as they would be in fear of massive compensation payouts so would likely refuse or consult with somebody about potential nerve damage.
It reminds me that after I had my eyebrow pierced I found out that if a facial piercing is done in the wrong place it can cause nerve damage to the entire face leading to all kinds of problems. If I had known I probably wouldn't have had it done -- I only kept it in for a few hours anyhow.
Also reminds me of an old workmate who had a tattoo that looked as if his skin had been peeled back to reveal servos and motors like Terminator -- it was a cheesy thing to have but I always thought it looked good and somehow fitted as if the guy doing it really thought about it and had the right amount of whimsy and seriousness to make it work as well as great artistry. The reason it reminds me of that guy is that he also had modifications to his p.... but they were OT so I'll not go further.