Deeper Meaning

Why do tattoos need to have deep meaning? Why are people always like, "I don't really care for tattoos but if they have a deeper meaning then I guess they're alright."???? And why does everyone who shows off their tattoos feel the need to justify the ink's existence and go on and on about its meaning?

Ugh. Please.

This whole focus on justification of body art and pontificating on "the meaning" just gets people into trouble. They try to justify shitty tattoos by saying, "oh but it means something!" Look, even though you're trying to tell me that your crappy little faded flower represents childhood innocence and reminds you never to give up your dreams, all I can see is a crappy little faded flower. Or the girl with the tribal butterfly that she and every other girl who ever walked into a tattoo parlor came out wearing tells you that it means "freedom" and blah blah blah. Whatever, who cares?

You don't have to justify it. Really. If you like it that's all that matters.

Another thing people do is assume that others won't accept their ink unless there's some deep and powerful story behind it. No. If they don't like tattoos they won't like yours, and nothing you can say will change that. Get used to it.

Many people get tattoos to symbolize life changes and momentous events. That's great! The problems arise when they think you need to hear about why there's a shooting star on their foot or a four leaf clover on their shoulder blade. No, I really don't need to hear about it. Your life events are important to you, but I really couldn't care less. If we don't know each other well (the very fact that you feel the need to justify your tattoos to me means we don't), I'm not interested in hearing personal details couched in pretentious terms of deeper symbolism.


Now don't get me wrong, I love tattoos. Freaking love them. If you've known me for five seconds you will know this. But I'm so sick of this "meaning" bullshit. My tattoos have meaning, but I don't feel the need to share what that is, since they're, you know, mine.

People have asked me what "the meaning" is behind them. Well, there's quite a bit of meaning, but it's a long and boring story and you're ultimately not going to care. I got them because I liked them, that's all you need to know, and it doesn't matter to me whether you like them or not.

It boggles my mind that people are so quick go into what their tattoos mean, and even flagrantly make things up. Like it's unacceptable to get a tattoo just because you like it, when in fact that is the main reason people get tattoos.

Maybe I'm just an overly private person (as I post this on the internet), but I don't want to share what my tattoos mean to me. It feels a bit vulgar and somehow cheapens everything. I don't want to go off listing them all and saying what they mean like a little kid explaining his toy collection. Which is of course, equally uninteresting.

I'm also afraid that once we start down that path, I'm going to have to justify why that meaning is important to me. Some people get all excited about "the meaning" that I don't want to let them down. It's disappointing, rather like learning that instead of getting that bitching scar from a barroom brawl you actually just fell off your bike as a kid and scraped your face. Yawn. Deeply personal things tend to be very anticlimactic to other people.

So no matter what your tattoos are, if you just thought the design was cool or it really does mean something, just shut the hell up. Nobody truly cares except you, which is good since you are the one wearing it.