{"id":719,"date":"2022-03-02T11:15:15","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T19:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/character\/?p=719"},"modified":"2022-03-02T11:20:13","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T19:20:13","slug":"the-rule-of-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/character\/blog\/2022\/03\/02\/the-rule-of-three\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rule of Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

By Edward DeRoche<\/p>\n

In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test.\u00a0<\/i>In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>–<\/i>Tom Bodett<\/p>\n

Have you heard or read about The Rule of 3?\u00a0 <\/span>I didn\u2019t until last month when I was reading Bill Murphy, Jr.\u2019s article about The Rule of 3<\/i> <\/i>(Understandably.com).<\/p>\n

The Rule of 3 has to do with the way we process information and that three<\/b> is the smallest number of elements we can use to create a pattern. \u00a0<\/span>It seems \u201cthat any ideas, thoughts, events, characters or sentences that are presented in threes are more effective and memorable.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Murphy noted that it works for at least three reasons:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, because people respond to patterns, and three is the minimum number of things required to create a pattern.<\/i><\/p>\n

Second, if you articulate three things, you create an imbalance.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Either all three things go together, or two go together, while the third represents an exception.<\/i><\/p>\n

Finally, because three is the maximum number of things people can remember quickly without effort.<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rule of 3 influences how we think, what we hear, what we remember, and how we process information on a daily basis.\u00a0 <\/span>Here are a few examples.<\/p>\n