# Tattoos--should they be meaningful? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382 "2009-12-15T18:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/21 "2009-12-15T20:30:21Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > grind sideways on her back and press fingers in her neck? I’m trying to come up with a fiddling/hoedown gag, but failing. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/22 "2009-12-15T20:32:40Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Well I guess I didn’t mean that poster in particular…more the idea of people choosing Asian languages because they’re prettier or more exotic looking, which is something I’ve heard people complaining about. As that poster with the Sanskrit tattoo, I would have to say that I wouldn’t want a tattoo without personal meaning. I’m just kinda like that. I didn’t get my tattoo for other people to see. I wanted it in an eye-pleasing script, but when I had it applied, I asked for it to be ‘‘upside-down’’ on my wrist so I could ‘‘read’’ it as it was meant to be read. It wasn’t meant to be art, it was meant to nudge me into a more mindful state of being whenever I saw it. It does that. It completely fulfills its purpose. However I don’t think meaning is necessary, and the ‘‘social convention’’ that a tattoo must have deep, personal meaning just reeks of snobbery to me. Frankly, so does the assertion that it can’t be in some pretty language you don’t understand. Like any other kind of art, tattoos can be purely about aesthetics. In fact, in my experience, the best ones often _are_ purely about aesthetics. The [bird tattoo](http://www.43things.com/how_i_did_it/view/4375/how-to-get-a-tattoo) pictured here is arguably purely about aesthetics. It is my Aunt’s tattoo. She did the artwork herself. I think it’s pretty sweet. What does [this](http://kawilmes.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/claude-monet1.jpg) mean? Don’t know. But it’s one of my favorite paintings ever. I once walked into a room full of meaningless paintings by this artist and wept. Having said that… the best piece of tattoo advice I ever recieved is to ‘‘wait a year and see if you still want it.’’ I did wait (two years, actually), and I’m glad I did, because I think it significantly reduced the odds I would regret it later. (I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I eventually would like to add to it.) > [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Several times I’ve considered getting a tattoo of subtle tick marks running up the side of my index finger, spaced at quarter-inch intervals. That way, I can get a rough measurement of anything without pulling out a ruler. > > But there seems to be a social convention requiring that tattoos have a deeper meaning, and not just be utilitarian. People who hear my idea think I’m crazy. I’m afraid that having such a socially unacceptable tattoo in such a visible place would lead to adverse consequences, so I haven’t done it. It’s a wonderful idea, but honestly I can’t help but think it would hurt like a bitch getting something tattooed on your index finger. And if you work in a professional environment, it would probably not be well-received. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/23 "2009-12-15T20:34:04Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Several times I’ve considered getting a tattoo of subtle tick marks running up the side of my index finger, spaced at quarter-inch intervals. That way, I can get a rough measurement of anything without pulling out a ruler. > > But there seems to be a social convention requiring that tattoos have a deeper meaning, and not just be utilitarian. People who hear my idea think I’m crazy. I’m afraid that having such a socially unacceptable tattoo in such a visible place would lead to adverse consequences, so I haven’t done it. You could try it yourself with some regular ink or henna or something, to see how you like it. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/24 "2009-12-15T20:36:36Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Several times I’ve considered getting a tattoo of subtle tick marks running up the side of my index finger, spaced at quarter-inch intervals. That way, I can get a rough measurement of anything without pulling out a ruler. > > But there seems to be a social convention requiring that tattoos have a deeper meaning, and not just be utilitarian. People who hear my idea think I’m crazy. I’m afraid that having such a socially unacceptable tattoo in such a visible place would lead to adverse consequences, so I haven’t done it. I like this idea, but it seems that a simpler solution would just be to measure and memorize the length of your knuckles on your index finger. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/25 "2009-12-15T20:37:39Z")
I think there should be meaning, yes, and I also kind of internally roll my eyes at the tattoos in a foreign (to the tattoo-ee) language. I mean, I know lots of very very nice people who do this, but I can’t help feeling like they’re just appropriating a culture they have no idea of and no sense of, just for a cool-looking tattoo. However, when it comes down to it, what’s it to me? What business is it of mine? Unless they expect me to validate them, which of course they don’t, then I just don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Jelly\_Roll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jelly\_Roll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelly_Roll)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/26 "2009-12-15T20:40:26Z")
I have 3 tattoos, none of which have particular meaning, in and of themselves. What is meaningful to me is the circumstances surrounding my getting them. Briefly, the first one I got in college at the age of 18. My roommate and I got similar tattoos at the same time, so I always think of Laura and the carefree college days I spent with her. The second one I got with a new friend, Sunshine, right after I moved to Texas. I was 21 and on my own for the first time. I got my most recent tattoo with my best friend right before I left Texas. She also got a tattoo (her first) on the same spot on her body. It was a bittersweet day because we knew I was leaving. But again, looking at the tattoo makes me think of that day and it makes me happy. You look at my wrist and see 3 stars. No, the stars don’t “stand” for anything or represent anything in particular. But I smile because it reminds me of Amy. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/27 "2009-12-15T20:48:45Z")
All tattoos are meaningful, whether they mean “this truck is in remembrance of my dead brother” or “this Taz is in remembrance of my 18th birthday” or “this bird is really pretty on my body.” I’ve never met anyone who got a tattoo for shits n giggles. Everyone’s tattoo has a story, even if the story is “I really wanted one and this design was cute”. Even the dolphins and Tweety birds. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/28 "2009-12-15T20:55:09Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > All tattoos are meaningful, whether they mean “this truck is in remembrance of my dead brother” or “this Taz is in remembrance of my 18th birthday” or “this bird is really pretty on my body.” > > I’ve never met anyone who got a tattoo for shits n giggles. Everyone’s tattoo has a story, even if the story is “I really wanted one and this design was cute”. Even the dolphins and Tweety birds. I think for some people it’s not the tattoo itself, but the act of getting it, that is so meaningful. It becomes associated with that moment in time, and in many cases can be a sort of coming-of-age ritual. Most people remember their first tattoo in the same way we remember senior prom. For me, the timing was incredibly meaningful. I’d just reclaimed my life from severe depression. I was 22, engaged to be married, and ready to live again. It was a statement that I had a vested interest in my life. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/29 "2009-12-15T21:09:30Z")
I always used to say I’d never get a tattoo unless it had great meaning and now I have three that, after the fact have meaning, but were just the whim of the artist, who, in my opinion, is so freaking fabulous he could have inked a picture of John McCain on me and I’d still love it. I’m the first person that \*I’ve \*ever known of to get a “tramp stamp” (not saying I’m THE first person, just that it was not popular, at least here, 17 years ago) and it’s kind of celtic looking to boot, so I can only imagine the silent scorn I get for it, yet I couldn’t possibly care less. I love the compliments I get and I even enjoy a little self righteous indignation when people who don’t know that I’m inked go on a rant about tattoos 😛 ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/30 "2009-12-15T21:28:44Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I think for some people it’s not the tattoo itself, but the act of getting it, that is so meaningful. It becomes associated with that moment in time, and in many cases can be a sort of coming-of-age ritual. Most people remember their first tattoo in the same way we remember senior prom. I have a horrible little silhouette of a young panther that I love, and look at with great fondness, in memory of my friends and the circumstances and also being sixteen and completely reckless. I don’t go around talking about the story behind it, and no one looking at it would have even the slightest reason to think that it was done with any forethought or personal meaning. It definitely _looks_ like a drunken, impulse-buy tattoo. 😃 My tattoo artist has been inking people for something like thirty years. I asked her once how much of the work her staff does on a daily basis is “flash” or little, repetitive stuff like the cartoon characters. She laughed and said that it’s surprisingly rare that anyone asks for custom art or has their own design in mind. The vast majority of stuff her shop does is straight out of the flash sheets. She herself is an incredible artist, as are all the folks working for her, but most of the time what people want is cuffs and tribals and little 'toons and roses. It seems like a silly choice to me, but that’s apparently what _most_ people want in their tattoos. I’ve occasionally thought about having one of those spectacular koi tattoos placed running from the outside of my knee up my thigh and hip, as a purely aesthetic choice. I’ll probably never do it as it does feel like I’d be misappropriating a cultural aesthetic I have no claim on… but they sure are pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/31 "2009-12-15T21:36:48Z")
When I was 17, I convinced my not to bright cousin that the government was going to require us all to have our social security number via barcode tattooed on the back of our necks. He was drunk and we got him to go ahead and get it done, since it was going to be a law soon anyway. 😉 15 years later, dude still has that barcode on the back of his neck. ---
**Author:** ![bettyporkta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@bettyporkta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bettyporkta)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/32 "2009-12-15T21:47:00Z")
the bigger the tattoo, the lower the IQ… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/33 "2009-12-16T00:14:07Z")
Mine is, but no, they don’t have to be. There’s no requirement that you have to treat your dermis like it’s sacred. Using it as a canvas is just as sensible. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/34 "2009-12-16T00:38:33Z")
I don’t think there’s any necessity that a tattoo be meaningful. I do think a tattoo should be well thought out. There’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/35 "2009-12-16T01:27:01Z")
I designed my own tattoo, it is for pretty and not for deep inner meaning. I don’t think I would like anything in a translatable writing, or a popular symbol because I don’t want people misinterpreting my artwork. I was actually considering getting one of the traditional peacock based henna tattoos done in henna colored tattoo ink and permanent on my feet simply so i wouldn’t have to keep redoing it =) ---
**Author:** ![catflea12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@catflea12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catflea12)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/36 "2009-12-16T12:22:55Z")
I have a rose tattoo on my wrist and a no smoking sign tattoo on my ankle, both meaningful to me ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/37 "2009-12-16T13:55:21Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I don’t think there’s any necessity that a tattoo be meaningful. I do think a tattoo should be well thought out. There’s a difference. Thank you, that’s what I wanted to say and couldn’t quite come with the right words. It’s also the reason I’ll never get a tattoo: the one I’d like would make people who recognized part of the symbols but not all angry, which I don’t want to do. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/38 "2009-12-16T17:14:18Z")
People should do whatever the hell they want. But I, as someone seeing your ridiculous tattoo, have the right to think it’s ridiculous. I have one, it’s meaningful - my wife’s name in a heart, and she has my name with a bird. But if I had much money, I’d get sleeve tattoos - one arm a jungle scene, one arm a space scene. Not meaningful, just stuff I’d like to look at on my arms. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/39 "2009-12-16T17:49:32Z")
I have a [meaningless tattoo](http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll268/dutchboy208/tattoo.jpg)\*. It’s a design I created myself, which is an amalgamation of my initials. I’ve been doodling it on my schoolbooks since I was about nine. I didn’t get it for any other reason that because I liked the design, and I figured that since I draw it on stuff all the time it might as well be drawn on me. I was drunk when I had it done, but I’ve never regretted it, and in fact I’m still thinking about getting it filled in, 4 years later\*\*. I think meaningless and _unoriginal_ tattoos are stupid, but I wouldn’t turn a girl down just because she’s got a butterfly tramp-stamp. Apart from anything else, it would reduce my options vis-a-vis potential mates by about 90% 'round these parts. > [@catflea12](#): > > I have a rose tattoo on my wrist and a no smoking sign tattoo on my ankle, both meaningful to me One would hope that your audience would have figured out that they aren’t supposed to smoke long before they get to your _ankle…_ \*no, I’m not an albino - that’s the jpeg I created for the artist to use. 😉 \*\*I was going to have it filled in after the outline healed, but - funny story - the tattoo parlor I had it done in [burned](http://orlando.metblogs.com/2005/02/20/fire-downtown/) _to the ground_ later that night. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382/40 "2009-12-16T18:24:12Z")
Not only meaningful but completely unique. I have no tattoos and won’t until I need a statment that will never ever need to be modified. But, I have designed several tattoos for others. Never pick one off the wall of the tattoo studio is all I really have to say. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-should-they-be-meaningful/521382.md?page=3)