Although nowadays tattoos have become more and more popular, tattoos are not a phenomenon of the modern world. In fact, tattoos date back hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Celtic tribes have used them as part of their rituals or to identify members of their tribes, Egyptians have tattooed symbols on their skin and even Christians have used the symbols of their religion as a permanent mark on their bodies.
Although tattoos don't carry these certain kinds of meaningfulness today, people who decide to get one are still looking for a meaning in their tattoo.
While in the past, tattoos acted more as a sign of unity, as a commonly shared symbol that people of one particular group or religion shared, the modern world which has become highly homogenized, however, requires us more and more to stand out, to identify ourselves as individuals that are, indeed, different than their peers.
Today, maybe more than ever, we are looking for tattoo ideas with a very particular meaning, that reflect our true self (or at least the one we think we are or we think we want to be). Tattoos are not a symbol of identification with a certain group anymore, tattoos have become a symbol of the identification of and withour self. Tattoos are art. And as a form of art they are a reflection of our deepest thoughts, our self-reflection and identity.
In a world that requires us more and more to fit a certain standard, tattoos (and other forms of body modification) provide us with a way to tell the world that we are, in fact, a unique individual. And that we deserve to be treated and respected as a special being.