Tattoo's that are thought over and not just picked out of a flash book usually do have a point. Are you saying that monuments or tributes have no point? It is excactly the same thing just in a smaller venue. When it means something to you and it's not there to just look cool, then it probably has a point or meaning. That tribal tattoo may have a meaning, but he said he wants one just like it, I'm sure he is not looking into a meaning of any of it.