Hmm, if someone is aware of the consequences of their choices regarding fashion or body modification and how they might be perceived, and still go through with it, then more power to them. If he wanted to be a server at a high class restaurant or work in a white-collar environment, he probably shouldn't get a face tattoo. If he doesn't care about what doors he closed with his tattoos, why should you?
Several years ago, many of the Japanese guys I work with got caught up in the front end of the rising trend for young Japanese people to get tattoos. For the most part, they limited their rebellion against societal norms to things easily covered up with even a short sleeve shirt.
One guy kind of got hooked on it and kept getting more and more of what I can only describe as 1950s jailhouse looking crap, to the point he was having to wear full sleeve black shirts even in the middle of summer. He knew things were going to end up with him having to quit our company because of the tattoos at some point, and he knew it before he started getting them.
There are several companies in my general area at which he could perform the same sort of work, and we are hardly in one of the "employed for life" occupations so job changing is not unusual (although it does get much harder to find a new position as one gets older). There is also a sort of "pecking order" as to how desirable as company is to work for, as regards pay, working conditions, etc. People who work for a company down the list don't tend to switch to a company up the list very often. What usually happens is that they cascade down a step at a time until they either disappear or they end up at or near the absolute bottom of the list.
Entirely without knowing, I lucked into a company at or near the top. I have had several former co-workers who for one reason or another went down the list in search of greener pastures and without exception they have all told me they wish they had stayed where they were. Tattoo Guy was in a good place, was a good guy, a good worker, and except for the ink explosion could have stayed as long as he wanted.
We are still in the same area and in the same line of work, so I run into him from time to time. It seems like just about every time I see him he has changed companies again and slid a bit further down the list.
you are just judging him for the choice he made
Why shouldn't he?
I get the impression that in the Urashima Taro-ish interval I've been entirely absent from the United States, right behind "racist" at number one is "judgmental" at number two on the list of absolutely unacceptable things to be. When did that happen? It seems now the only thing it is socially acceptable to be judgmental of is other people's being judgmental.
Everybody makes judgments about other people all the time. Anybody who claims they don't form judgments of others based on the other person's words or deeds is either entirely without personal principles of any sort, afraid to stand up for them, or a damned liar.
Pre-judging others based on appearances or assumptions is, of course, unfair and wrong.
I'm judgmental as hell and I don't care who knows it.
Guess she didn't know spiders are the "in thing" this year.
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