<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rhett Miller:<BR><B> But what's with all of the piercings? I'm just curious as to what motivates people to get all of that body modification? Guess you really can't comment for anyone except yourself...but...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>there are as many answers to this question as there are people with tattoos/piercings/etc. a friend of mine asked people for their answers to this question a while back. you can read some answers <A HREF="http://www.modernamerican.com/why.html" TARGET=_blank>here[/url].<P>i can only speak about my own motivations. unfortunately, it often comes down to one of those "if you don't know, i can't explain it" kinda deals, but i'll do my best to give a short answer that will at least give you some idea.<P>everyone has drives that motivate their behavior. hunger, thirst, sex, that kind of thing. i have a drive that motivates me to modify my body in very specific ways. my body is supposed to be modified. it's what is right for me. my body knows what it wants, and i listen to what it tells me. <BR> <BR>some modifications are purely aesthetic. some are more functional. all are a test of the body's capability to undergo change. our bodies are capable of so many amazing things that most people never experience. through modification, i test the boundaries of my body. i see how it reacts to different stimuli, how it accomodates new things, how it adapts, how it evolves. through modification, i have a better understanding of how my body works. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>And do you feel like it makes people focuse too much on it, and preevents people from getting to know the real you?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>the modifications are the real me. well, they're a part of the real me.<P>as for the attention my appearance attracts, i could not possibly care less. i would make the same choices i have made if i were the only person on the planet doing them or if everyone else looked just like me. they are for me, and for noone else. i do not make my choices because they gain attention.<P>my appearance does however work as a bit of a filter sometimes. there's more to me than ink and steel, and i'm more than just my body, but if you can't handle the outward appearance, then you definitely can't handle what's inside. <P>i'm giving the world a sneak peek at what's inside by turning my soul inside out and putting it out there for public viewing. it's a risky undertaking, and has consequences that few people could possibly understand, but i am willing to accept any and all outcomes related to my choices.<P>