So, my mother and father are both Jewish. They’ve never been very strict at all, we eat shellfish and pork and don’t observe Shabbat, but as far as beliefs, they’re all in. Over the years as a young adolescent, I did some thinking of my own, and decided that it’s just not for me, so I don’t have the same beliefs as them.

Now the problem begins. I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo that has meaning to me. I’ve spoken to my parents briefly about getting a tattoo, and my mother forbids it, because of her religion. So I’m torn, between being my own person and being able to do what I want, and honoring my mothers wishes. Would I be the asshole if I got the tattoo despite her forbidding me to?

For those who it might change their view, it is a tattoo of the alien language in the movie Arrival, that means “you have chosen life”. I went through a tough time when I was younger, and it would be a reminder of those times and that I made it through them and could do it again.