One, Two, Three by Andrea Corrie

 

Photo Credit: Soichi Watanabe 

 

Having had a break over Christmas and the new year, my mind felt as though it was ready for a stretch. For no particular reason, I found myself pondering the number three. What is it about three, and about the way things so often group themselves in threes? Is three a magic number? In writing terms, perhaps it is.

“He was tall, dark and handsome” has more impact than “He was tall and dark”. The number three is the smallest odd prime number and the smallest number that can create a pattern.

You can’t plait two strands, but you can plait three.

Two’s company, and three’s a crowd.

You need three legs to hold up a piece of furniture, though only two to hold up a person.

You need three elements to measure space: height, width and depth.

When gardening, plants make a more effective statement when they are grouped in threes.

There is a particular emphasis in messages that come in threes. Caesar declared, “Veni, vidi, vici” — “I came, I saw, I conquered”. He didn’t simply come and see. 

Shakespeare’s Mark Antony addressed his speech to “Friends, Romans, countrymen”. Stories and songs seem to know this rule of threes instinctively. There are three blind mice and three little pigs.

Macbeth has three witches, Dumas has three musketeers, and even Goldilocks has three bears to contend with.

More prosaically, Lionel Richie sang of “Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady”, demonstrating that he too understood the power of love — thrice.

Greek mythology gave us three Furies and three Graces, while the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity draw us towards balance. We speak of mind, body and spirit, intuitively recognising a completeness in the triad.

“I promise to love, honour and obey” may have fallen out of favour in the modern world, but it remains a trinitarian promise, witnessed by that most important triptych of all: the divine Trinity, the Three in One. What mystery and promise are held within that unique and equilateral triangle of Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The combination of pattern and brevity in triples makes content easier to remember, which is why the rule of three delivers such impact in oration, advertising and persuasion. Nike’s enduring slogan, “Just do it”, distils motivation, action and resolve into three unforgettable words.

On oath, you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, emphasising honesty through repetition and completeness.

Even our symbols reflect this instinct. The remembrance poppy is made up of three elements: the blood-red of the battlefields, the green leaf signifying new growth, and the black centre reflecting the sadness of mourning.

The rule of thirds underpins many compelling images. Artists and photographers are encouraged to divide a frame using two horizontal and two vertical lines, placing key elements along those lines or where they intersect. The modern colour model is RGB — red, green and blue — which can be combined in varying proportions to create a multitude of shades.

 As a writer, the rule of three is a quietly powerful tool. At the very least, I can add a pinch of imagination, a flavour of spice, and a hint of intrigue, in the hope that my words will encourage people to read them and conclude that they are useful, helpful and interesting.

 

Devon-based Andrea Corrie BEM is a writer, editor, speaker, retreat leader and water safety advocate. andrea.corrie@outlook.com

Blog at: https://andreacorriesblog.wordpress.com/

Living in the Mourning Light (2020) and Into the Mourning Light (2014) by Andrea Corrie available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Mourning-Light-Andrea-Corrie/dp/1916271804