In this week’s Takimag column, the skeptical doctor goes on an another enjoyable and valid tirade against the wretched and debased trend of tattooing in the Western world. What a waste of ink indeed!

There are no sheep more ovine than those who get themselves tattooed in order to individuate themselves. Judging by the statistics, such sheeplike behavior is becoming more and more common.

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I think I was among the first commentators to notice the ascent of tattooing up the social scale. Mediocre intellectuals began to get themselves tattooed and then elaborated rationalizations for their decision. Much of intellectual life has since become the attempt to give arcane explanations of foolishness.