Rhetorical Tool: Rule of Three
HOW? Put what you want to say into groups of three. For example, what will make your three proposals succeed, the three tasks that lie ahead, the three obstacles in the way, the three must-win battles... You don’t have to mention any numbers, just divide your message into three chunks. For example, we need to collate data, we need to analyse, and we need to change...
Faith, hope and __________? Liberty, equality and __________? I came, I saw, I __________? My guess is that you immediately responded “charity”, “fraternity” and “conquered”. The rule of three is an effective delivery mechanism and a good way to remember things. That’s why so many talented speakers use the rule of three to structure what they say.
There is a rhythm and musicality to the number three that is lost if you repeat something four, five or six times. It is also a device you can use explicitly or implicitly. An example of explicit use would be: “There are three things we need to do about the problem...” or use a gesture with your fingers or hands that conveys something in three distinct steps.
Implicit use leaves out mention of the actual number three, but you make your points in sequences of three or in three sentences.
