Why do people get tattoos?


People who get a tattoo on impulse or a dare, while intoxicated, or to please someone else, are the ones who are usually less satisfied with the results. Even while holding it out as a spur-of-the-moment mistake, a person who acquires a tattoo under these circumstances are rarely happy with having it on a long term basis. Unfortunately, these types of situations do comprise a fair percentage of the number of people who get tattoos-- and later regret it. Most people who get tattoos primarily as a means of rebellion are also dissatisfied in the long-run; as they grow out of feeling the need to rebel, they grow out of enjoying the symbols of it.  

Some people get a tattoo simply because they want to have one. Other than not putting much careful thought into its long term implications, nor being very selective about what particular design they want, this is not necessarily negative. For many, simply liking artwork on one's skin is reason enough to visit a local tattoo studio, hand over a relatively-large sum of money, and have something etched into one's skin that is intended to remain there for the rest of one's life. The most intricate design or the most plain one can be a matter of speaking to the entire world, or something which one chooses to keep solely to oneself.

Others use this form of self-expression in a manner similar to what generations past used to do with t-shirts: to show the world what they wish to say. They choose wording, or designs which symbolize something that is meaningful to them. You can see everything from  flags and crosses to the names of who they love. In the past, people wore what they believed, stood for, and cared about on their shirts; these days tattoos often serve the same purpose.


Why do people get tattoos? The reasons are as varied as there are individuals. Whether you yourself have a tattoo or not, if you know someone who does, it is important to realize that you do not know what that person's reasons are, unless he or she decides to tell you.

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