Matthew Arnold Stern -- Writer and Speaker

The Rule of Threes

by Matthew Arnold Stern

"...faith, hope, and charity..."

"...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..."

"...of the people, by the people, for the people..."

Why do so many speakers say things in threes? There are several reasons for this. Well, three to be exact:

Threes are how we normally organize information.
Three force us to focus on important details.
Threes amplify the importance of a concept.

The main reason for using the rule of threes is that it makes a speech easier for us to remember and deliver. And when a speech is easy for us to remember, it is easy for the audience to follow and retain.

Threes are how we normally organize information

We are used to events having three parts, a beginning, middle, and end.

In science, we create a hypothesis, research, and present our results.

In fiction, we start with an inciting incident, create rising action, and end with a climax. Look at the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." (See?) The inciting incident is when Goldilocks goes to the bears' house. The rising action is when she tries out the porridge, chairs, and bed. (Notice that there are three events.) The climax is when the bears find her and chase her out of the house.

In speeches, we also use three parts: we say what we're going to say, say it, then say what we just said.

By using threes, we use a pattern to which listeners are accustomed. We also use a logic that is easy for us to follow and remember.

Threes force us to focus on important details

When putting together a speech, we are confronted with a choice of dozen of ideas and hundreds of supporting facts. Which ones do we use? All of them?

The problem with including as many ideas as possible is that we wind up bombarding the listener of a laundry list of facts. The listener can't absorb the information, and we can't present each concept in sufficient detail to support our subject.

By limiting ourselves to three ideas to present in our speech, along with three supporting facts for each idea we present, we can focus on the key points we want to make and develop them in more detail.

Think of it as the "In-N-Out Burger" approach to public speaking. In-N-Out Burger is a fast-food chain in the western United States that has only a few items on their menu – burgers, fries, and shakes – so they are able to make them with exceptional quality.

Threes amplify the importance of a concept

Say something once, and the audience may or may not hear it. Say it twice, and they may conclude that you're just repeating yourself. Say it three times, then the audience knows the point is important. By saying something three times, you have convinced the audience you're consciously emphasizing your point.

Parents seem to know this intuitively, don't they? Have your parents ever said to you, "If you're not quiet by the count of three, I'll give you a spanking you won't forget!" (That's back when parents can spank their children.)

Threes provide a familiar pattern of emphasis, which helps us remember the points we are to cover as well as helping the audience retain those points in their minds.

Conclusion

Threes help us organize, prioritize, and emphasize the subjects of our speech. Threes provide a familiar and memorable pattern. Threes help us remember our speech, which consequently, makes it easier for audiences to retain what we said.

So, in public speaking, three is a magic number. Use it make your speech more memorable.

Sources

Kirby Tepper's Power Public Speaking

Think on Your Feet

Lyrics: "Three is a Magic Number" by George R. Newall

Links

In-N-Out Burger

Toastmasters
International

Founder's District Toastmasters