When speaking in threes "Oops" just doesn't cut it
06/12/11 14:03 Filed in: Presentations
U.S. presidential hopeful Rick Perry had the right idea during a recent Republican Debate when he tried to make key point in his platform. Unfortunately, for him, he suffered a memory lapse at a critical time. Perry began to name three government agencies he would cut if elected president; but he could only remember two of them. After racking his brain for the third, all he could do was offer a feeble “Oops”.
Whether or not his gaffe derails his political plans, Perry stumbled when he should have soared. If he had delivered his list as intended, he would have tapped into the considerable power of speaking in threes.
Writers, speakers and comedians in the western world have exploited the rule of three for millennia. The Romans even had a term for it: "omne trium perfectum”, which translates to everything that comes in threes is perfect, or, every set of three is complete.
When it comes to people, three seems to be the lucky charm. Humans are good at pattern recognition and three points are the minimum needed to create a pattern. Patterns also help us remember things. Most of us can rhyme off three-part lists even if we haven’t heard them in decades. Try it yourself: the butcher, the baker and the _____ ______. Or The Lion, The Witch and The _____. Or veni, vidi, ____. (OK. Enough Latin.)
Working in threes seems to touch something in human nature. Courtroom lawyers often focus on three points when summing up in front of juries. Experience has taught them that, generally, people can manage to keep three ideas in mind at one time. Likewise, stories often feature characters in groups of three: The Three Musketeers, The Three Little Pigs, even Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Just imagine if Goldilocks had struck pay dirt on the second bowl of porridge. How satisfying would the story be then?
Although Mr. Perry wasn’t up to the challenge, politicians through the ages have made good use of triads (groups of three). According to Shakespeare, Mark Antony began his famous speech by asking: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.” In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln spoke of “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” While to the north, the Canadian Confederation was established on the principles of “peace, order and good government”.
Comedians make hay out of the rule of three to create humour. For instance, have you ever noticed how often stereotypes gather in threes to walk into a bar? Building a punchline around a three-part list is also highly effective — especially when the first two items in the list are perfectly logical and the third one comes out of left field. For example: How do you get to my place? Go down to the corner, turn left, and get lost. (Groaner courtesy of Wikipedia)
So, next time you write a speech or presentation make a point to tap into the power of the rule of three. Just remember to commit your material to memory. For instance, give the triad an acronym or use another mnemonic to make it easy to bring to mind. Better yet, write it down and keep it in sight.
Whether or not his gaffe derails his political plans, Perry stumbled when he should have soared. If he had delivered his list as intended, he would have tapped into the considerable power of speaking in threes.
Writers, speakers and comedians in the western world have exploited the rule of three for millennia. The Romans even had a term for it: "omne trium perfectum”, which translates to everything that comes in threes is perfect, or, every set of three is complete.
When it comes to people, three seems to be the lucky charm. Humans are good at pattern recognition and three points are the minimum needed to create a pattern. Patterns also help us remember things. Most of us can rhyme off three-part lists even if we haven’t heard them in decades. Try it yourself: the butcher, the baker and the _____ ______. Or The Lion, The Witch and The _____. Or veni, vidi, ____. (OK. Enough Latin.)
Working in threes seems to touch something in human nature. Courtroom lawyers often focus on three points when summing up in front of juries. Experience has taught them that, generally, people can manage to keep three ideas in mind at one time. Likewise, stories often feature characters in groups of three: The Three Musketeers, The Three Little Pigs, even Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Just imagine if Goldilocks had struck pay dirt on the second bowl of porridge. How satisfying would the story be then?
Although Mr. Perry wasn’t up to the challenge, politicians through the ages have made good use of triads (groups of three). According to Shakespeare, Mark Antony began his famous speech by asking: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.” In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln spoke of “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” While to the north, the Canadian Confederation was established on the principles of “peace, order and good government”.
Comedians make hay out of the rule of three to create humour. For instance, have you ever noticed how often stereotypes gather in threes to walk into a bar? Building a punchline around a three-part list is also highly effective — especially when the first two items in the list are perfectly logical and the third one comes out of left field. For example: How do you get to my place? Go down to the corner, turn left, and get lost. (Groaner courtesy of Wikipedia)
So, next time you write a speech or presentation make a point to tap into the power of the rule of three. Just remember to commit your material to memory. For instance, give the triad an acronym or use another mnemonic to make it easy to bring to mind. Better yet, write it down and keep it in sight.