A theory of optimal tattoos

David Stearns, a loyal MR reader, asks:

How would you pick a tattoo, if you decided you were going to get one? How would you pick something that your future self is most likely to be glad to have? A favorite piece of art? Follow Leeson's lead and get an economics-related tattoo? Names of family members are off-limits, as are answers like "get a small dot in my armpit that nobody would see."

I would pick a country which I loved visiting, such as Mexico or Brazil, both of which have distinct shapes.  It would be an excuse to narrate previous visits and I don't think it would repulse many people, other than the fact that it is a tattoo.  An artwork in tattoo form would look low-brow.  A Celtic geometric design would be another option.  The obvious alternative would be to pick something which looked criminal, but I don't think that would mesh well with my other strategies in life.  For some men it would pay off. 

Here is Dan Ariely on tattoos.

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