What tattoos really say about a person - a new study.

Many people believe that tattoos are made by rebels or nonconformists. But new research shows that it may have a deeper meaning. For many, tattoos become a symbol of an important event in their life or a memory of loved ones.

What tattoos may hide

According to a Pew Research Center study, tattoos can truly influence the perception of others about the person who has them. Many believe that tattoos reflect a person’s personality and reveal their deeper sides.

Researchers were presented with 375 images of tattoos from different people, and psychologists had to determine friendliness and personality type from these images. They often associated joyful and colorful tattoos with friendliness, while massive ones with extroversion, but it turned out that these biases were often false.

The study showed that although tattoos may have certain meanings or stories behind them, they can be just a small part of the picture of a person's personality. Sometimes, talking about tattoos can help to better understand the interlocutor, but they do not always reflect real character traits.

Earlier, we wrote about the impact of colors on human psyche and how a favorite sleeping position can tell about a person's character.