Your work is only as good as you communicate it.
Three is a very powerful number in communications and this simple math trick will improve your control of language.
I joined an improv class while I lived in Austin, back in 2010. At the end of the first class, I was chatting with the instructor about the art form and he said: “You should check out this book called the truth in comedy. A book by Del Close.”
In the back of my mind: “I was like for real, comedians read books?” Just kidding. Anyways. I later learned that there were certain techniques to storytelling, building connections, and humor.
What I learned about counting, crafting, and communications in my short stint on stage in that comedy store would stick with me forever.
I still use it today, fifteen years later, to spotlight the things I build.
Take it easy
People overcomplicate things.
They either present too much information, overwhelming people. Sometimes, they do the opposite and don’t present enough information to persuade.
You have to learn to walk on the fine line.
That fine line happens to be the Number 3, a magic number in communications. It is the adequate amount of numbers to create a pattern.
One is just a data point.
Two is just a similarity.
But three?
Now we’re in business. A pattern emerges.
You would think that more information extends, solidifies, and imprints a pattern. But that’s not the case. When you start getting to numbers beyond four, the brain begins to check out.
Too much info.
Save my neurons.
Information overload.
The brain wants to recognize patterns and at the same time, save energy. The number three is the perfect number for this purpose.
That’s why it’s the most important number in writing, communication, and storytelling.
Use the power of threes in your communication:
I’ve found myself recently listening to a playlist of Martin Luther King Jr’s speeches.
It reminds me that the struggles we face today are no different from those in the ‘60s. His focus on the changes in technology, world policies, and growing wealth inequality, and how they affect social injustice doesn’t seem too far off from where we are now. As a great communicator that could rally people around a mission, MLK’s speeches were steeped in rhetorical devices that used similar patterns. I’m drawn to his use of imagery, humor, and repetition.
Particularly his use of repetition in threes.
“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice, say that I was a drum major for peace, say that I was a drum major for righteousness.” ~ Drum Major Instinct Speech
“Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado, Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California, Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!” ~ I Have A Dream Speech
When you begin to recognize the pattern of three in your favorite writing and start to see it everywhere, you’ll begin using triplets to improve your communication skills, persuade people on your mission, and help you live a more well-rounded life.
Here are three ways to use the rule of three in your communication:
1. The 3-act story
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end.
Wow, so profound right? Yeah, you’d be surprised how often the storytellers of your favorite movies, books, and plays use this three-act formula.
The beginning is the setup.
The middle presents the conflict.
The end provides the resolution.
Take for instance, The Matrix, one of my favorite movies. In the beginning, Neo, the main character, is a regular programmer that is bored at his job, exploring the dark web (The setup). He has to make a decision (red or blue pill) which draws him to the middle of the story where he learns new tricks but fails at several tasks (Conflict). Then the resolution at the end is when he realizes he is “the one” and can beat his adversary, agent Smith, at his own game (Resolution).
Every story has these three acts.
Whether you’re telling your personal story, sharing your company’s origin, or building a powerpoint deck, start by breaking up the structure into three parts.
Then build out the story from there.
Use the number 3 to build your structure.
2. Triple parallel construction
The good, the bad, the ugly.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
Dedication, hard work, plus patience.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
I can keep going. I’m on a roll. I think I’m on fire.
Perhaps I should?
Stop, drop, and roll.
That’s right.
You have seen this before, said in the greatest speeches, sung by your favorite musicians, used in that catchy ad. It’s the emphasis that comes with saying things three times to drive a point. When you present information in three, it’s more convincing, rhythmically-pleasing, and persuasive.
I’ve done it through this section, actually through this letter.
Here are two types of parallel construction that:
- Triolon: a rhetorical device that uses three parallel elements of equal importance (e.g. “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”)
- Hendiatris: the use of three words to express a single concept (e.g. “Sorrow, tears, and blood” by Fela Kuti, representing an oppressive regime.)
Channel the power of parallel construction to emphasize your point, strengthen your narrative, and be more persuasive.
If you have one example, extend it to three.
If you have five, try compressing it into three.
Create time-saving patterns for your audience.
3. Comedic beats
Back to that improv class in Austin.
In a small room, the size of a small studio apartment, on the east side of town, a group of confused professionals learned from Tami and Chris, who had just moved from Dallas.
Besides teaching us about always saying yes, being in the moment, and recognizing when to stop a scene, they always drilled down the importance of three beats.
On stage, as we performed, once we found something funny (the clue or setup), we’d find a different way to do the same thing again. Once we’ve made that connection, we now have a path to find a creative way to land the punchline a third time.
Close scene!
Doing it a fourth time would be overkill. (Don’t be that person cracking the same joke over and over again at the dinner party. Please. Quit while you’re ahead).
Go watch your favorite comedians.
They tell their jokes in threes.
Three allows you to create a pattern and reinforce, or break, it on the third beat.
It’s about expectations, patterns, and timing.
Humor is a good tool to use in your communication. It disarms your audience and makes you relatable so you can pass your message, laugh, and possibly move forward together.
Don’t forget the beats, they come in threes.
Use them whether you’re a writer, humorist, or business strategist.
Let the “Threes” grow:
Threes appear everywhere.
Use it to make your communication sharp, clear, and convincing.
Build your story with the three-act structure, use parallel construction to enforce your message, and leverage the three beats in comedy to make your message more palatable.
Once you start it becomes second-nature.
Yours truly,
Nifemi
P.S. If you made it this far, can you reply to this email with the three words that come to your mind as you finished reading this letter?
