I work with people who have tattoos. I can accept tattoos without being judgmental; people can do what they want to do with their bodies. But it is permanent, so once you do this, you're stuck with it. It's a fact that a lot of people react badly to tattoos, and if you are going to be working in a world where that is the case, you may be penalized.
A person can respond, "... how other people react is not my problem." But if you are in sales, giving technical presentations to potential customers or consulting engineers, many of whom react very negatively to tattoos, you are giving your competition one advantage over you that has nothing to do with the strength of your product. Perception, a very human emotion, makes a huge difference in some areas of life. Companies spend a fortune on creating an image, and tattoos can create a negative image.
When I was younger, long hair was a divider. But at least with long hair you could get a hair cut and change your image once you got a little older and realized that this "freak flag" (as David Crosby called it) was hurting your career.
- Glenn
|