Re:Ask HN: Why did you get a tattoo?
by surprisetalk on Friday June 21, 2024 @12:02PM
(#40750908)
Well, the short answer is that I wanted to look cool.
The long answer is that "looking cool" is a social signaling mechanism. I now attract friendly strangers who recognize the specific symbols on my skin.
For a fixed cost, I have forever increased the chance of meeting people with common interests and actually realizing that we have common interests.
The downside, of course, is that some friendly strangers (and employers) may avoid me because of my tattoos.
I think, so far, that it's been a net positive experience for me. I'll likely get more when I have more expendable time and income.
The long answer is that "looking cool" is a social signaling mechanism. I now attract friendly strangers who recognize the specific symbols on my skin.
For a fixed cost, I have forever increased the chance of meeting people with common interests and actually realizing that we have common interests.
The downside, of course, is that some friendly strangers (and employers) may avoid me because of my tattoos.
I think, so far, that it's been a net positive experience for me. I'll likely get more when I have more expendable time and income.