Ink Me

I guess that I should start by saying that I am a fans of tattoos. I plan to get a few over the course of my life. I can tell you why I want to, even a general idea of what they might be. That being said, I do think that there is still a lot to be said for the kinds of people who wear tattoos. At it's basest point, the practice of tattooing oneself is a kind of attention-grabbing. People will deliberately put a sign on their skin to demonstrate something to people, to show them something, some part of what they consider essential to themselves. So many of the people who have tattoos say that they just like the design, that they found it pretty or interesting, or 'cool'. There's truth in that; of course you find it interesting, moving. But to say that that is the only reason for permanently dying your skin is shallow, not really reaching the whole reason of things. People think it's cool because it ties back to the fundamental ideas of what is and what isn't cool. The literal image transplanted on your person ties to the intangible image of being cool. Tattoos that are represented as visages of toughness or with intricate tribal connections are taken to be cool, while a tattoo of something like, say, a flower, are typically not 'cool'. Particularly for men-the dynamic changes when women are concerned.

There are still things to be said about the positive nature of tattoos. It has been true for several cases that peoples' tattoos are representative of periods of time in peoples' lives that were particularly challenging or difficult, and the tattoo implies your victory over the hurdle. Sometimes people get tattoos to serve as a constant reminder; people put quotes, specific symbols, and other things that carry a dual meaning for themselves as opposed to other people. A personal example with regards to myself is Occam's Razor. I plan to tattoo the phrase onto my body at some point or another over the course of my life. Occam's Razor, for people unfamiliar with the concept, basically means "the simplest answer is usually the right one". A personal reminder to myself to never overcomplicate things, as I usually tend to do so. It also carries significance with regards to memories of my father. While tattoos may literally be skin-deep, the implications often stretch far deeper than that which we first perceive.