1) I don't care for most piercings, even in the ear. Its just my personal preference. I like skin, and nothing but skin.
Encountering a foreign object during, uh, shall we say 'exploration' of someone's skin is akin to encountering a pimple, unsightly mole, or goiter (depending on size of object).
Sometimes tattoos can be appealing, but as previously noted, they don't age well. And I am of an age where that is a concern.
2) Of course there are risks involved.
3) I have no piercings or tattoos. I have mulled the idea of getting a tattoo someday, but I always hit on the same sticking point - what symbol or image would I want to permanently display on my body? It has to be something that would last my life, and since my personal self-image has changed radically several times over the years, I just know that whatever I chose now will be of little interest to me in the future.
These days, I don't even like wearing t-shirts with pictures on them. I want to be identified as myself, not by what ever is emblazoned on my chest.
Originally posted by thantor3
An interesting point that has been made by some spiritual teachers, like Caroline Myss, is that the current resurgence in body modification is a crying out for the inclusion of a more meaning spiritual path within a culture that has become sidetracked by materialism.
That is an interesting idea. I would have been more cynical and would have said that the rise in piercing among the young is their attempt to be noticed, to rebel, to be different from both the generation before and from each other. I would have thought that Shock-Value had a lot to do with the trend, at least at first. Now it seems to have boiled down to a fashion trend, and people will lose interest in it as soon as it become common-place and perceived as mundane. What will be the next trend, I wonder?
