Tattoo Stereotypes

Although many stereotypes in our society are gradually changing, however the tattoo stereotypes are still prevalent in many sections or groups of the society. Many of my tattooed friends have to deal with the tattoo stereotypes every day.

Life is worse for people with visible tattoos. They are often discriminated and many a time people get too curious about their tattoos. They even start asking different questions about the tattoos, which can be quite personal. Sometimes even children show disdain or disrespect to the tattoos. It does not come as a surprise because often the often the stereotypes are passed from the parents to the children. So how can we break the tattoo stereotypes? My tattooed friends have shared two ways with me. These two ways are Smile and Toil.

Strategy # 1 to Break the Tattoo Stereotypes: Smile Well I am not here to suggest that you smile so hard and so frequent that your face gets smile lines. I only mean that if a person around is giving you awkward looks or staring at the tattoos then just pass a smile. Other than that, do not walk around wearing a frown or looking angry at the world. Due to the unfriendly or mischievous expressions, posture, or body language, people are more likely to associate you to gangsters, trouble makers, or simply weirdoes. Sometimes just being friendly can really change a person's perspective about the tattooed lot. This is because many a time it is not really about the tattoo but about how people carry it makes people form views about the tattooed people.

Strategy # 2 to Break the Tattoo Stereotypes: Toil By toil, I mean that sometimes you will have to go out of the way to break a tattoo stereotype. For example, you can open the door for someone at a bank. You can help someone with the luggage at the airport or you can pull the cart for someone at a mall. The 'little acts of kindness' can also bring about a significant change in how people perceive tattooed people. Here I would also like to discuss the scenario if anyone starts asking you questions about the tattoo. Remember, even to break the stereotypes, you are not supposed to reveal to people what you are not comfortable with revealing. For example, you can tell the meaning of a tattoo if it is not too personal. If it is personal, you can humbly tell that it reflects a personal association/loss/celebration etc. It is your right if you do not even feel like revealing anything. Just be humble and courteous. Do not also forget the smile.

More Tattoo Ideas