**ronknights - "**When one begins to express their individuality, they might believe it's necessary to show some outside evidence, whether it be wearing the right clothes, piercing the body, etc..."

But that's my point - the idea is not that one thinks it is necessary but rather that you don't have any idea why you shouldn't do what you like to do - especially with your own body. I have many tastes as an individual... the vast majority of them have no outward visibility - but many do.

I wear a knife, one I can fight with, almost everyplace I go. I generally also wear handcuffs at the back of my belt. I wear almost exclusively black clothing and I tend to a long black leather duster in winter.

Those choices are a result of my individual tastes (to be armed, to be warm, and to be prepared to enjoy myself if I meet someone compatible - you are free to decide which is which) - they are not necessary to show that I am an individual to anyone - they are a result of my individuality.

When I get my ink done, I will have two armbands of Kanji, the words in them will have meaning to me... and I want them on my body for my own reasons. They are visible signs - but they are not intended to show off. I don't think this is a reflection of any spiritual immaturity.

If the individual taste of someone says "hey, I'd look GREAT with a navel piercing, I think they are hot" then I would say that that piercing is a result of an inner desire - not a result of a desire to "prove" that one is an individual.

If your individual tastes are all in areas that leave no outward sign then good for you - but I don't think it makes much sense to assume you know why everyone else is doing what they are doing :)

RadArt - "Does anyone else wonder why on earth those pants folks wear nowadays that hang down past ones derrier are all the rage with many folks...??..."

Depends on which ones you mean. The ones on the guys and some girls that are HUGE baggy denim? Usually with boxers? Nope. I don't know how that one started though I know that skaters took to them initially to have room for leg mobility.

As for the very low hip jeans in fashion for girls... yeah, I know how that started. You can trace the current wave to a Mariah Carey video. She wanted to wear tight jeans but didn't like the slight tummy roll she had over the top so she cut the top of them off. It looked GREAT. Of course, she is amazingly hot to begin with...

That caught on for mostly the same reasons she did it... then some celebrities had them on with a thong under, so you could see the thong curve over their hips - and that looked pretty hot too and WHAMMO... hip huggers are back :)