Survival of the Tattooed and Pierced?

You can read the full article here, but there is a theory that in males it is the strong who get pieced & tattooed, while the weak shy away from it. On average more symmetrical left to right - these are generally considered more attractive & better genetic health than less symmetrical males (on females there was no difference?).

I'll put the text of the article from the Scientific American magazine below:

Quote :

From the May 2010 Scientific American Mind
Survival of the Tattooed and Pierced?
Body art may be evidence of high-quality genes in men

By Adam Hadhazy

When surveyed, most people say they get tattoos or unconventional piercings to express individuality. But could something more psychologically primal be afoot? Researchers at the University of Wroclaw in Poland measured about 200 men and women—half of them inked or pierced in places other than their earlobes—for body symmetry, or how similar their right and left sides are. (More similarity indicates genetic health and is associated with sexual attractiveness.)

Among the research subjects, men with bodily decorations exhibited greater symmetry than those without, whereas no differences emerged in women. Because people who are less symmetric did not opt more often for tattoos and piercings, researchers rejected one widely held hypothesis that suggested people use physical graffiti to hide or distract from imperfections in their appearance.

The results jibe with a different theory—getting stuck with needles can endanger one’s health via infections, so the study supports the evolutionary “handicap” theory that only those with high biological quality can afford such risky behavior. The im­pulse to get inked may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.

I've noticed a whole lot of males get Sun tattoos on their shoulders, different variations but still the sun, sometimes the sun and moon together. It made me wonder if there was any particular significance to that. I even once tried to figure out if it was mainly saved for the right shoulder but I think I've seen it on the left too.

As to their speculation, I think there could be endless possible speculations. For example perhaps less symetrical males just aren't as good looking and as such decide that physical appearance is a superficial concern?

Personally, nothing against getting tattoos... but I always thought it was a little dogmatic, as it puts one in a position where they can't very easily then change their mind on the matter ever. It's almost like a celebration of the idea of planning on never changing one's mind for a person's entire life, and thus, a celebration of being closeminded, in my humble opinion. And of course, on the other hand, there are times where one does need to make a choice, one can't endlessly hem and haw, where one does need to permanently commit to something, for better or worse.

I just found it amusing as I have both that makes me (in their eyes) likely to be genetically superior. As to some of the guys I've seen with tattoos & piercings - 'genetically superior' are not the words I'd use to describe them
I suppose it depends on how you look at a tattoo. Willingness to commit to a long term choice has merit (although you can get tattoos removed or covered pretty easily these days), maybe that would be seen as attract by a prospective mate?
I've met older people who have wanted tattoos over the years, they've always regretted never getting them (if they've wanted them when they were younger), conversely I've known guys who've got tattoos who've regretted it - like the gay guy I know who had a British bulldog in a Union Jack waist coat (a typical racist/fascist often gay-bashing type tattoo over here) or a poor lad who had guns & roses then became a punk (he deserved it hee hee!).
I think you'd be hard pressed to find one single defining reason for a tattoo. I like body art on me, it's simple as that in my case & I like the decorative value of piercings on me as well. My partner has none (she did briefly have a nose piercing), so I obviously don't find them an important feature on prospective mates (or indeed friends as I have both tatted, pierced & 'unblemished' friends). I think there are probably nearly as many reasons for these things as people who get them - I just like stirring up a little controversy no & again

I do think it's a nice artistic thing. I'm conflicted in that I try to make nothing of image (mine or others) as I don't want to be superficial, don't want to unfairly judge someone, etc. But then again I am an artistic person and there's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to look good. I'd like to have my walls covered with paintings and why not have people covered also?

Here though at my workplace all tattoos have to be completely covered up while at work. There was one lady who had one on her neck and had to wear a big bandage over it each day. (She left shortly after this rule was instituted). That sort of thing and potentially being unfairly treated by conservative types ultimately holds me back from bothering.

A lot of people get it upper back shoulder, there I've seen flags, pixies, the like like that. It is fairly well hidden there. I don't really care for it too much when a woman has one on the lower back.

Also, a lot of the old time hooligans I'm led to believe wore tattoos for whomever their football team is. And of course, some of that is linked again to the more extreme elements out there.

Once in a while, I use to read a hooligan book, a cottage industry. Once I read this Mark Chester Hooligan book for Stoke City, I've got to say the other hooligan books pail in comparison. I once communicated with Mark Chester though I'm a largely quiet shy type. That is another thing I wonder about England, some of that hooliganism was such a rough world. Of course, thank goodness that is mostly in the past now and Mark Chester has some sort of website about keeping the peace and all that, he seems a nice fellow and level headed nowadays, some of his writing may have been fictional to add to the stories. Once I read his accounts, there doesn't seem to be much more to look for. I hope he does well. That is off topic, the last paragraph but I tied it in and it is something I've wondered about.