Tattoos suddenly started to show up on the arms of rock and roll artists. That created a new fad or really resurrected an old fad. Tattoos used to be seen on the bad boys of our society like bikers. They were like an anti-establishment symbolism. Of course, going way back, tattoos were seen on sailors. Now the tattoo fad has gone to the extreme with people covering a large part of their torsos, on the front and back and legs. Humans are Tribal, by nature and nothing confirms this more that the tattoo fad. It’s the old “monkey see, monkey do” idea. Humans are social creatures that want to be accepted by the community. Some primitive tribes in different parts of the world have tattoos and they have different symbolism. Tattoos are a personal form of artwork and have meanings for the persons that have them. I have considered a tattoo but that would mean that I have conformed to a fad and I don’t do that. I like to be a free thinker that is not motivated by what everyone else is doing. If I did get a tattoo, it would something that mocked the fad, like the words “tattoo” on the top of my hand. I am a very cynical thinker and that is one reason that I write and draw cartoons, to mock society and point out our silliness. It is interesting that people react to a fad and they think that they are doing something unique because it’s new. Fads are just a way to be a part of the community. It’s like showing up to a party and seeing that you are wearing what everyone else is, and feeling very satisfied. Society will actually mock people that are not conforming to the latest looks. Like the old British rule, that you cannot wear white after Labor Day. This is our Tribal nature and I am surprised that no one ever mentions it, when it is so painfully obvious. This whole issue of “racism” is based on the same thing. We naturally fear anyone that is different. It could be someone that is from a different ethnicity or religious belief or a different class. The wealthy have always treated the poor people differently and visa versa. The media keeps claiming that racism can be overcome with a different mind set but it’s fear of the diversity that creates it. It is politically incorrect to say that we are racist, so we all pretend that we are not. I claim that even if we were all identical clones, we would still single people out that have freckles or moles. Tribalism is not something that we can just pretend does not exist, it is a part of our survival mechanism.
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