The Rule of Three
Consider how this ancient law of proportion works for great speeches
Most speakers know about the importance of using “the Rule (or Law of Three”. Most are not aware where it came from.
People use this ancient mathematical law of proportion in ways they do not even think about. Abraham Lincoln learned it in his one-room schoolhouse. Eves Aristotle, in his Art of Rhetoric, referred to “three types of speeches” and “three forms of proof”, although he also divided ideas into two parts and four parts as well.
Lewis Carroll, in addition to writing the Alice in Wonderland stories, was a mathematician at Oxford and referred to The Rule of Three more than once in his writings. In his Mad Gardener’s Song, he writes:
“He though he saw a Garden-door
That opened with a key:
He looked again, and found it was
A double Rule of Three:
‘And all its mystery,’ he said
‘Is clear as day to me.’”
Later on, in The Hunting of the Snark, Carroll says:
“I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”
Suffice to say, irrespective of its mathematical overtones, the number three is truly magical. Speech coaches insist that people can most easily remember something if it is said three different times.
Shakespeare used it (“Friends, Romans, Countrymen”), and so did Thomas Jefferson (“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”). US Marine Corp instructors teach that a marine should limit his or her attention to three tasks or goals.
And the Jay Lenos of the comedy world frequently follow this formula. The first comment names the topic, the second sets a pattern, and the third unexpectedly switches the pattern, which is funny.
So where has all this been leading us? Simply that focusing your message on no more than three significant points, and repeating them in different ways throughout your presentation, is certain to give your presentation the maximum impace. Using The Rule of Three is powerful!
In case the above seems over dogmatic, some authorities suggest that The Rule of Three is more commonly followed in Western culture and that “a rule of four” can be found to be typical in other cultures.
Dr Jerry Tarver, emeritus professor of speech communications at the University of Richmond and a noted speechwriting instructor, points out that there are many famous examples of “fours” and “twos” in famous declarations (Frank Delano Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” and Churchill’s “blood, toil, tears and sweat”). A good example of “twos” is Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Emerson’s dictum that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” is probably applicable her but we still think The Rule of Three is a powerful technique in fashioning memorable human communications. If it was good enough for Shakespeare, it is worth your while to give it a shot.
-when you are clear about the thress key points of your speech, it is easier to pack power into each point you want to make.
Most speakers know about the importance of using “the Rule (or Law of Three”. Most are not aware where it came from.
People use this ancient mathematical law of proportion in ways they do not even think about. Abraham Lincoln learned it in his one-room schoolhouse. Eves Aristotle, in his Art of Rhetoric, referred to “three types of speeches” and “three forms of proof”, although he also divided ideas into two parts and four parts as well.
Lewis Carroll, in addition to writing the Alice in Wonderland stories, was a mathematician at Oxford and referred to The Rule of Three more than once in his writings. In his Mad Gardener’s Song, he writes:
“He though he saw a Garden-door
That opened with a key:
He looked again, and found it was
A double Rule of Three:
‘And all its mystery,’ he said
‘Is clear as day to me.’”
Later on, in The Hunting of the Snark, Carroll says:
“I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”
Suffice to say, irrespective of its mathematical overtones, the number three is truly magical. Speech coaches insist that people can most easily remember something if it is said three different times.
Shakespeare used it (“Friends, Romans, Countrymen”), and so did Thomas Jefferson (“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”). US Marine Corp instructors teach that a marine should limit his or her attention to three tasks or goals.
And the Jay Lenos of the comedy world frequently follow this formula. The first comment names the topic, the second sets a pattern, and the third unexpectedly switches the pattern, which is funny.
So where has all this been leading us? Simply that focusing your message on no more than three significant points, and repeating them in different ways throughout your presentation, is certain to give your presentation the maximum impace. Using The Rule of Three is powerful!
In case the above seems over dogmatic, some authorities suggest that The Rule of Three is more commonly followed in Western culture and that “a rule of four” can be found to be typical in other cultures.
Dr Jerry Tarver, emeritus professor of speech communications at the University of Richmond and a noted speechwriting instructor, points out that there are many famous examples of “fours” and “twos” in famous declarations (Frank Delano Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” and Churchill’s “blood, toil, tears and sweat”). A good example of “twos” is Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Emerson’s dictum that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” is probably applicable her but we still think The Rule of Three is a powerful technique in fashioning memorable human communications. If it was good enough for Shakespeare, it is worth your while to give it a shot.
-when you are clear about the thress key points of your speech, it is easier to pack power into each point you want to make.
posted by Anonymous | 23:54
<< Home