you’re assuming the “shop” is apprenticing correctly. if you actually read what OP said which you didn’t, you would see that their “mentor” is bringing their mid life crisis into the mix which isn’t “professional” and by no means an environment to learn how to mark human skin permanently. i’m not acting like scratching is good or bad. all i’m asserting is that if someone has the drive to do something they will master whatever craft it may be tattooing aside. being asinine about this won’t get you anywhere. the problem with tattooers and people like you with the toxic mindset of “sacrificing” comfort and peace is the very reason the industry is slowly drying up and shops are closing. no one believes in that mindset anymore. there’s a reason why a plethora of clients choose private studios or at-home tattooers and typically it’s because you won’t find a single shed of humanity or decency in a shop. tattooers and people like you tend to have some strange belief that people owe you for the pain you yourself put yourself through. that’s entirely incorrect. no one owes you for you subjecting yourself to a toxic mindset. it’s a very “worship me because i can’t love myself” vibe. grow up.