I've thought about it, but I don't think I'd ever get a 'Teen

Hear the words of Tyler Posey, who once declared: “I’ve thought about it, but I don’t think I’d ever get a ‘Teen Wolf’ tattoo, and I don’t know why.” At first these words may seem uncertain, almost casual, yet beneath them lies a meditation on identity, memory, and the symbols we choose to carry upon our flesh. For a tattoo is no small thing—it is a mark of permanence, a chosen story etched into the body for all the days to come. And though Posey gave his youth, his craft, and his fame to Teen Wolf, he hesitates to bind its image upon himself. In this hesitation there is wisdom, the wisdom of one who understands that the self is greater than any single chapter.

To tattoo is to enshrine, to declare that this symbol shall forever be part of who I am. Many who love a story or a role are quick to carve it into their skin, believing it immortalizes their devotion. But Posey, though forever tied to the series in the eyes of the world, feels no need to make that bond eternal in ink. Why? Perhaps because the show, though beloved, is but one moment in the vast journey of his life. To immortalize it upon the flesh would be to say, this is all I am. And in his heart, he knows he is more.

Consider the story of Alexander the Great. In his youth, he was tutored by Aristotle and idolized Achilles, even carrying a copy of the Iliad with him on campaign. Yet Alexander never branded himself with Achilles’ image. Though Achilles shaped his vision of glory, Alexander knew that he must write his own story, live his own battles, and carve his legacy not upon his skin, but upon the world. So too with Posey: Teen Wolf shaped him, lifted him, brought him into the eyes of millions. Yet he resists marking it permanently, for his life is not bound to that single role—it stretches beyond, awaiting new battles, new songs.

There is also humility in his words. For a tattoo is often a proclamation of pride, a flag declaring, this is my tribe, my glory, my mark. Posey’s hesitation reveals that he does not see himself only as a symbol of Teen Wolf, nor does he desire to elevate the show above the wholeness of his journey. This humility echoes the teachings of the ancients: that one must never mistake the mask for the soul, nor the role for the essence. The show was a mask he wore, a story he served, but his spirit reaches further.

The deeper meaning is this: sometimes we do not know why we hesitate, but the soul knows before the mind understands. Posey admits, “I don’t know why.” Yet in truth, the wisdom lies hidden in that very uncertainty. Our spirits resist bonds that would limit us, even when our minds cannot explain it. Just as a bird resists the cage though it has never flown free, so too does the heart resist markings that would define it too narrowly. His uncertainty is not weakness, but the whisper of intuition guiding him toward freedom.

From this we take our lesson: be careful what you mark upon yourself, not only in ink but in identity. Do not bind yourself too tightly to a single role, job, or title, for life is longer than one story. The past may shape you, but it does not define you. Choose your symbols wisely, for they will follow you beyond the season in which they were born. And if ever you hesitate, listen—your hesitation may be the soul protecting its own vastness.

So, let us act with wisdom. If you would bear a tattoo, let it be not of fleeting fame, but of eternal truths—family, courage, love, or faith. If you would define yourself, let it be not by one chapter, but by the book entire. In this way, like Posey, you will honor your past while leaving room for your future. For the truest mark you carry is not on your skin, but in your deeds, your choices, and the legacy you leave in the hearts of others.