3 is a magic number 🪄
1 gets the most press. 2 owns binary (right and wrong).
But 3 is magic 👇
I was at the PMM Summit last week, hosted by Product Marketing Alliance, and watched a presentation given by Amelia Chen.
Not only was it a super insightful presentation 👏
But it was clear Amelia knows the rule of threes.
Her presentation centered around 3 key themes (Curiosity, Compassion, and Consciousness). And when she broke down each one she focused on three key points. She always kept it to three things, which made it easy to follow and understand.
So, why is that?
People love patterns.
We use patterns to solve problems, predict things, explain concepts.
And 3 is the simplest form of a pattern.
In our short term memory, we can best remember three things.
Humans process information through pattern recognition. 3 is the smallest number that allows us to recognize a pattern, which is why it helps us craft memorable phrases. 💡
For example:
- 3 little pigs (said wee wee wee)
- 3 blind mice
- The 3 bears (too hot, too cold, just right)
- 3 musketeers
- 3 stooges
- 3 wise men (three gifts)
- A, B, C
- Do, Re, Mi
- Ready, set, go
- Tic, tac, toe
- Stop, drop, roll
- and the list goes on...
So, for your next project, try using the rule of threes to your advantage.