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  1. So I am about to take the plunge for my first tattoo, and I've decided that that which I had planned to get second actually makes more sense for the first. And of course, U2 is the foundation.

    Two aspects that I'm looking at:

    1. Which of two particular quotes.
    1. "Are you tough enough to be kind" from 13 (There is a Light)
    2. "Are you tough enough for ordinary love" (Ordinary Love, of course)
    2. How to portray it:
    1. I'm having trouble figuring out how I want it to look. I'm a words person, and thinking of graphic/visual ideas that might be good with these quotes is not my natural.

    I think I like the "kind" variation of the quote a bit more. It may be that the melody is biasing me a bit (I like 13's melody a little more than Ordinary Love's. No offense to OL!).

    I find kindness and the ordinary actions that the deepest love (a set of doings rather than feelings) requires a sort of toughness and grit to do, rather than to respond with something like anger or indifference. "Loving-kindness" (to use an old formulation) takes more engagement and control than other ways of reacting and being.

    The only idea that I have come up with for a visual way to portray and make this something besides that typical "tattoo cursive" is to use something like Bono's handwriting. I know that there's that handwritten OL out there, but I'd almost prefer the 13 (TIAL) variation.

    So:

    1. Which quote? Arguments (I'm happy to have a good philosophical/theological discussion!) welcome
    2. How to make it look at least slightly distinctive?
  2. I prefer "to be kind" a lot more than "ordinary love".

    To me it sounds like It has more weight, "for ordinary love" sounds more 'nice' or even cool or poetic, but "to be kind" sounds a lot more strong, it confronts you more.
    Or at least to me. Whenever I listen to that line I really feel myself being questioned (and embarrassed) about it (like thinking "fuck! that's hard") while I never have that visceral feeling listening to the ordinary love line, like I have to make an intellectual connection to "get it".

    So, I definitely find "to be kind" a better option.

    A handwriting font would be my obvious choice, U2 related there's at least Bono's handwriting style, Ordinary Love, (Best Thing video also has one,right?), or even Achtung's.
  3. My body’s not a canvas
    My body’s now a toilet wall

    "Raised by Wolves"
  4. Well i think a tattoo is something that you feel yours.totally.so if you find "your " quote go For it.
    I'm a 70% tattooed so i Know what it means to find the right font or stuff Like that.handwriting is a good font .every time i wanna get tattoed i choose a quote and i try it with different fonts.it's funny
    The other funny thing is that i've Got a 13 on My hand but not referred to U2
    B.t.w. Get tattooed!!!
  5. I would go For :

    Do not become a Monster in Order to defeat a monster
  7. Well, I do think of that as I think this over. But I can live with that.

    If Larry's body is a toilet wall, then I'm not too bothered about mine being such.
  8. Originally posted by natePDC:[..]
    Well, I do think of that as I think this over. But I can live with that.

    If Larry's body is a toilet wall, then I'm not too bothered about mine being such.
    the "toilet wall" line was because this junkie's tattoos were not artistic at all, just those cheap scribbles all over his body... hence resembling more a toilet wall than a canvas.
  9. Originally posted by natePDC:[…]

    1. "Are you tough enough to be kind" from 13 (There is a Light)
    2. "Are you tough enough for ordinary love" (Ordinary Love, of course) […]
    I am going to repeat what I said in the U2 tattoo topic: both sentences in these particular phrasings are technically - that is, grammatically - constructed as questions. You might want to consider using a question mark.

    I'm not saying you should use a question mark, but since you asked some feedback on how to portray one of these sentences,
    this is what I have to say. At least you can think about it
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.