Replying to Tattoos & Piercings

Actually, you have it backward. Tatooes and piercing will make the majority of people less inclined to invite you at dinner.

Well I think it's the inside that counts. So I tend to go for the sulfmutilation.

Artistic expression......
Why make the outside(body) different to please the inside(soul) ?

While it's true that people will probably judge you different if you have a "nicer" appearance. It remains the question how much you should value the judgement of those people as they (only) look at the outside.

Data.

Sebatianos, on May 14 2005, 05:31 PM, said:

I generally dislike these licentious people

That does make a difference.
OK - I can't say that tattoo no. 2 sounds like anything else but a fashion statement (get a tattoo for the birthday...), but that third one - if you even drew it yourself... Then that does represent something and it is probably a part of you - saying something about your personality.

It's not what you actually do - it's why you do it. As long as you didn't do it, because it was popular it's OK. You know why you had them and you can stand behind that decision  

I personally feel tattooing and piercing is a valid form of self-expression.

Like anything, there are people who go overboard with it, but that doesn't mean it can't be a positive thing.

Personally, I have 3 tattoos and have had about... 13 piercings.

Of the piercings, 9 are someplace on my ears, one is a labret (below the lip), a bellybutton, and two somewhere else

Each of the tattoos has some sort of special meaning to me. I wrote an article about the first one after I got it done. It's not the most... original, but it's very me. It's the kanji "ai," which means love. Philosophical love, not really romantic love. It's important to me to love others, and it has meanings on other levels, too.

The second wasn't all that original either, but it's actually very beautiful. It's a tribal butterfly and band on my lower back. My best friend and I decided to get tattoos for our birthdays (they're really close), and another of our friends did the tattoos. And I just really love butterflies and tribal tattoos.

The third was one I drew myself, and I sort of consider it an abstract representation of my personality.

To me, they're a valid form of art, only using your body as the canvas. I will never regret getting them done, even when I'm old and wrinkly.

It all depends.
I mean basically all cloathes and jewlery (for earings you need to get holes in your ears too) are to some extend a form of self expresion - but because people got so used to that they took it a step further.
In the past tattoos and piercing were a from of stating something (it depends on the tribe that used them) - just like body painting. Today that tribal ritual is gone and it has become fashionable to do it. So you'd attrack more attention to your body (that goes for any kinds of implants as well). So it's more a fashion statement then anything else.
Or a statement that you wish to present yourself as something you're not.

I mean if you see a biker with a skull tattoo on the right arm - it's almost natural (it would be more surprising to see one without). But if you see a rebelious suburbian teenager with one - then it's usually just a poor attempt of being the 'though guy'.

I think that everyone's free to cut/pierce himself wherever he/she/it wants. It depends on the typology of the stuff wether it's good or not. As long as it doesn't go beyond the boundaries of common sense and good taste, a tattoo or a piercing can be a nice kind of ornament.
Not too keen on tongue piercings - I try to put myself in that condition, and I'd hate to have some iron-tasting stuff in my mouth most of the day. Plus I've seen somewhere some kind of iron buttons-stuff you can put under your faceskin to look like horns. THAT's ugly.

I've got 6 piercings, but can only use 4 at the time. Don't ask, stupid reason.

All of them but one are in the soft area of the ear, one is on the top of my left ear.
Right now I just use two of them, on the soft place.

I will get a tattoo when I'm old enough. I've been thinking of getting a similar as my dad has on his forearm. He's had his since he was 18 years old.

I think it's childish and most people do it to amaze their friends and piss of their parents (depends of the age), it's really just another fashion...

Well, your choice.