Skulls, ‘MOM,’ and barbwire have little in common, but they all share one thing: they’re inked onto your skin. If my theory’s correct, the human race will eventually evolve to be covered in tattoos at birth. Tattoos, even those that are unoriginal and poorly thought out, are becoming increasingly common.

Growing up, tattoos were for grown-ups, and the idea of something permanently drawn on my skin was terrifying. My views have since changed, as I hope to get a tattoo in the future that has both meaning and significance in my life. I understand that a tattoo is a permanent idea marked on your skin and requires serious thought.

Unfortunately, some people fail to understand this concept. These people are those who are committing one of my pet peeves, which I’d like to call “inking without thinking.”

For something that’ll follow you to your grave, getting inked is not equivalent to picking out clothes in the morning that can be changed later. It seems that if an idea pops into a person’s head, he is inclined to tattoo it on himself. Stars are cool, but they don’t belong on your skin. Dolphins are nice, but they’re meant for the ocean.

For those contemplating the idea of getting inked, the list of tattoo no-no’s goes on. For example, just because a quote moves you, doesn’t mean it should be tattooed onto you. Who’s to say this quote will hold just as much significance during the next stage of your life? The same idea goes for Bible verses or religious ideas. It’s a beautiful concept, but if you’re young, you might grow up to be someone who holds differing views and morals than you once did. Despite this, that tattoo will always remain on your skin. And don’t even get me started on people who tattoo celebrity related ideas onto themselves. Chances are the celeb whose name is on your foot will be washed-up in five years and you’ll have trouble remembering who he even is.

I’m no priest and I’m not your dad, so don’t think I’m pulling the “your body is a temple” card. Being a human being, though, I understand that it’s important to take care of your skin to at least some degree and understand what you’re permanently putting on it. My advice is to wait a significant amount of time to be sure you want to transform a mental idea into a physical form of self expression. If you’re also sure it separates itself from any other ordinary tattoo, it’s safe to proceed in my book.