A Three-Dot Tattoo – Credit / Wikimedia Commons
The three-dot tattoo often carries multiple connotations, typically embodying secrecy, unwavering loyalty, or the extent of one’s imprisonment. The placement of this tattoo, frequently on the left hand, is thought to stem from Buddhist symbolism, representing the three wise monkeys who “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” In this interpretation, the dots signify a repudiation of violence and wrongdoing.
Yet, in reality, this symbol is more frequently tied to Russian prisons, marking individuals who have committed serious offenses. Each dot is said to represent a decade of incarceration, so three dots could indicate that the person has spent thirty years in confinement.
Moreover, the tattoo is sometimes appropriated by criminal organizations as a badge of allegiance, warning others of the individual’s connections.
That being said, it’s crucial to rely on your own judgment and instincts when you encounter someone with a three-dot tattoo in real life.
Some may bear the symbol purely for its aesthetic appeal, without any involvement in criminality. Others may have rehabilitated and turned their lives around, no longer posing the threat they once did.
Thus, while it is always prudent to avoid rushing to judgment, you’re now perhaps a bit more informed than before about the potential implications behind this mysterious marking.
Not judging in haste is always a better approach, but at least now you’re perhaps slightly better forewarned than you were!
