The Rule of Three

“I stand before you the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock” Earl Spencer.

“Government of the people by the people for the people” Abraham Lincoln

“Veni, vidi, vici” Julius Ceasar

It is around us all the time – ‘just do it,’ ‘never knowingly undersold,’ ‘vorsprung durch technik.’ The Three Tenors, The Three Little Pigs, The Three Sisters. ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité;’ ‘I am the way, the truth and the light;’ ‘Education, Education and Education.’ Even here, I can hardly resist the temtpation to give examples in lists of three, and three lists at that.

Aristotle knew it, Shakespeare knew it and, as we see here, Steve Jobs knew it (three again!) – if you want people to remember things give it to them in threes.

Whatever you do though, make sure you remember all three and have a list written down somewhere just in case your mind decides to take an impromptu holiday as the Governor of Texas found to his cost.