Amerika

Tom Wolfe wrote of the status signaling of those who wanted to get ahead in a competitive society with social mobility, and how it was important to project yourself as the type of person you wanted to become so that others would react to you as such.

However, most signaling is like bullying or passive-aggression, based on a bluff. It turns out that some of it however lines up symbol and reality by rejecting sense entirely:

The researchers coded tattoos across 18 distinct dimensions—such as size, color, and content—yet most characteristics did not correlate with any findings. However, one notable pattern emerged: individuals with quirky or wacky tattoos were accurately perceived as open to new experiences. More specifically, they were judged to be open-minded, seek out new experiences, and have an appreciation for abstract and artistic endeavors.

“We were surprised to see that people accurately judged someone’s openness based only on seeing a photo of a tattoo,” said co-author and research associate Brooke Soulliere. “When people see a wacky or goofy tattoo, they assume that person is open to experience. And… they’re correct about it.”

Tattoos are already bodily vandalism, but if you decide to do cute, quirky, weird, ironic, wacky, or absurd tattoos, then you have essentially proclaimed to the world that your parents abused you(r anus) and you have no sense of self-worth.

Not surprisingly, these people turn out to be open to experience because they have no agenda and no hope. Just when we thought tattooing could not get any worse, Austin-style tattoos are here to convince us that some people really are that defiantly lost and malevolently paranoid.

Tags: self-esteem, tattoos