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Ideas for Impact

The Rule of Three

February 24, 2022 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

A familiar technique in rhetoric is to group in threes because people can hold only a few items in short-term “working” memory.

  • The Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger
  • Rights proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
  • Fire safety technique taught to children: Stop, Drop and Roll (should their clothes catch fire)

Three-part lists are particularly appealing because they suggest unity and wholeness. Lists comprising only two items seem inadequate. Lists of four or more are unlikely to be recalled entirely.

Idea for Impact: Follow the rule of three to create simple, concrete, and memorable messaging in persuasion—be it in arguing, storytelling, or advertising.

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Filed Under: Effective Communication, Mental Models, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Assertiveness, Communication, Goals, Persuasion, Presentations

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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