I'd like to know what it says too.

I got one. But it didn't take long at all, was mostly just like outlines.

It's hard to explain.

It hardly hurt at all.

thats a painful place to get it at, owww, your poor spine!
hmm...i bet it's something about courage
*crosses fingers*

The second to last character has somewhat of the symbol for number 2.... so0o0o... Maybe two is in the sentence

Damn son, that looks like a ridiculous tattoo...lol I was thinking about getting a tattoo on the inside of my arm but maybe i should get it on my back instead haha

i like ure tattoo alot...and you have a good back for it too*

These eight Cardinal Words are used by the Chinese for self-improvement and personal development. Just like the Cardinal
Points of the Compass: North, South, East and West, these words
will help you to set your personal course in life.


Politeness:
This word means what it says: be polite in dealing with people.
No air-rage, no road-rage, say thank you, pardon me for occasions
which warrants it, and greet people with a nice good-morning and
a nice good-bye. Do it not as a hypocritical act but as a gesture of
respect for the other person. Do unto others what you want them
to do unto you. Be polite to people and they will respect you.

Righteousness:
Do what is right. The Chinese strongly believe that a person knows
what is right and what is wrong. The word itself is made up of 2 parts
or radicals. The top radical means 'sheep'. The bottom radical means
'myself'. The Lamb's redemption above my head. Sounds familiar?
All these words are for self-improvement, not self-righteousness.

Meekness:
Be demurred, do not boast. The Chinese believe that whoever is
strong, there is always one who is stronger. Whoever is smart will find
another person who is smarter. The other meaning of this word is "to
live within one's means" and not to spend lavishly. You have heard,
no doubt, of the saying "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the kingdom".

Shame:
Literally translated, this word means 'shame'. But in the context of
the other words, it means 'To know shame'. Have self-dignity, do not do things which are shameful.



Faithfulness:
Be faithful to your belief, to your country, friends and family, and
above all, be faithful to your own self. In other words, be honest to
others and do not lie to them, or to YOURSELF.

Courage:
Have the guts to stand up to your belief and stand up against
bullies.

Humanity:
Treat other people with civility and compassion. Have a 'Human
Face'. Do unto others what you like them to do unto you. The best
way to explain this word is the following brief story:
When John F. Kennedy was first elected to the White House, he
was briefed by the military about US and Soviet nuclear capabilities
and the method of using them. He was told that the US and the Soviet
Union have thousands of nuclear weapons aimed at each other's cities
and the method of use was 'Assured Mutual Destruction'. In a nuclear
war, the missiles would be released to blow each other into dust. Upon
hearing that, Kennedy was in extreme disgust. He rapped his front
teeth with his fingers and snarled, "We do this ? and we call ourselves
human beings ?"

Virtues:
Having good human qualities. Not just the above, but other qualities
such as patience, grace, restrain (Ninja means a person who restrains
himself, and NOT one who is running around and beating people up),
benevolence and others.

I must say that as a rule, I really hate tattoos. However.. that is f-ing awesome. One of the nicest tattoos I've seen. Seriously. And the fact that it actually means all that stuff you wrote makes it even cooler. That and (as was stated before) you have a nice back.. I mean that in a totally manly, hetero way.
>.>

<.<

>.>

Normally I would have advised against a tat that ran down the spine, but that is the exception that makes the rule I guess. With that design, it is the only place appropriate. And I cannot think of a much more appropriate design for the spine. Bravo, Gerard!

The reason I would advise against a spinal tat is, as you pointed out, its very painful. Fortunately a machine tat's needles don't go deep enough to be dangerous, but if you were to use some other more primative/traditional means, the punctures could go deep enough to cause problems. Spinal acupuncture is not for amateurs.

The reason this is so painful is there is no padding of the bone and cartilage to absorb the vibration and its the center for nerve bundling. The more muscle or fat you have to cushion the impact, the less painful the process should be. Another factor that surprises some people when they get their first armband is that if the tat is in area where that is not accustomed to external abrasion it can be more sensitive. The outside of your bicep is used to being brushed, banged or otherwise touched and tats there are minimally painful. But the inside of the upper arm is usually well protected from stimulous. When the needle first goes in, the nerves are not prepared for it and can fire off a surprising round of pain.

seems like u know alot about it... do you have tattoos urself??? if yes then what kind?