The Psychological Reasons Behind Getting Tattoos: A Psychologist’s Insight
The Psychological Reasons Behind Getting Tattoos: A Psychologist’s Insight
Anna Solovey, a psychologist at the Minsk City Clinical Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, explains that the modern society’s dilemma is the loss of meaning. As genuine meanings fade, existence continues, and people create artificial supports. Self-affirmation replaces meaning, and tattoos become a means of self-affirmation.
The History of Tattoos
The history of tattoos dates back over 5,000 years. In primitive societies, tattoos symbolized affiliation to a clan, tribe, or social status. They indicated whether someone was a warrior, hunter, leader, or outcast. Later, tattoos served as talismans or parts of rituals, such as initiating boys into manhood.
One theory suggests that the Tahitian word “tatau” means “to mark.” James Cook, the explorer, brought this term to Europe. For a long time, only select individuals had tattoos. However, in 1891, Samuel O’Reilly invented the first tattoo machine, transforming tattooing into a business and a form of entertainment.
Tattoos and Fashion
Today, tattoos are fashionable. Fashion is driven by the desire to stand out and be unique. People use tattoos to express themselves and show their individuality. This form of self-expression has become widespread because it requires minimal effort for a visible result. Passive individuals tend to choose the path of least resistance. Those who are actively engaged in life may not feel the need for tattoos.
There is a paradox in this form of self-expression. While tattoos are fashionable, the essence of fashion is to stand out. However, when many people follow a trend, uniqueness is lost, and conformity takes over. Thus, people get tattoos to show their uniqueness but end up demonstrating their similarity to others and their adherence to a particular subculture.
Psychological Reasons for Tattoos
In the modern world, tattoos are a statement. The use of such an unconventional method of expression indicates that other forms of communication seem insufficient. The need for self-expression has increased. From school, people are taught that they are special and significant. No one wants to be part of a homogeneous mass; everyone wants to stand out and make a statement.
Tattoos, due to their permanence, are a convenient form of such statements. They do not require effort or achievement to convey information to others. Tattoos are always with you, always visible to others. You can tear your clothes, lose an item, forget a text, or sing off-key, but a tattoo remains unchanged. Your statement is guaranteed.
A tattoo is a completed statement that does not require a response. The modern individual is so self-sufficient that they are not concerned with who receives their message. They are not interested in dialogue; self-expression is enough. A tattoo has the necessary finality. Any response weakens self-realization, but with a tattoo, you have realized yourself, and that is all.
Tattoos are visual objects. In a world where people have forgotten how to listen to each other, we must keep our eyes open. Information is redistributed towards communication channels oriented towards vision. Images, not words, are transmitted. Images are designed for emotional processing. The modern individual is shifting towards emotionality, and rationality is losing its former significance.
Finally, the modern individual experiences a deficit of freedom. Today’s person is superficial, and they need external freedom. However, there has always been little external freedom, and there is even less now. To live, people must constantly earn and spend money. Lacking the strength to change this world order, people imitate freedom by getting tattoos. However, true freedom comes from within.
Tattoos and Women
There has been a significant increase in the number of women getting tattoos. Women often cite external reasons for getting tattoos. Some say they do it for self-expression, while others claim they got a tattoo because they liked the design. However, tattoos often have deeper meanings.
The role of modern men has not changed much compared to primitive times. Men still fight against the environment, although the environment has changed. The worldview of women, however, has undergone catastrophic changes. Modern society requires women to live by men’s rules, to imitate men, despite not being men physiologically or psychologically.
This leads to increased emotional tension. Women must make additional efforts to maintain this new image and prevent themselves from reverting to the traditional model. Tattoos are part of these efforts; women use them to assert their self-sufficiency and freedom to make their own decisions.
Men’s Attitudes Towards Tattoos on Women
Men often express strong opinions about tattooed women. Many men view tattoos as a clear marker of a woman’s availability and associate them with prison and homosexuality. While a small tattoo like a swallow or butterfly might raise eyebrows, a detailed infernal image on the forearm, back, or thigh can be outright frightening. Moreover, men often perceive female tattoos as “dirty” (both literally and figuratively). Many tattoos, up close or from a distance, look like nothing more than a dirty stain or skin disease.
However, men’s opinions do not matter here. If women considered these opinions, they would remain in the traditional model from which they are trying to break free.
Tattoos and Mental Health
Some psychiatrists associate tattoos with various mental illnesses. According to some data from domestic doctors, borderline personality disorder is diagnosed in 78% of individuals who get tattoos.
For further reading on the psychological impacts of societal expectations, consider exploring Psychology Today.
