Observation 4/13

There is something incredibly compelling about the Rule of 3.

Jokes often rely on the comic rule of three: a priest, a rabbi, and a nun walk into a bar. Rarely are they accompanied by a fourth Buddhist monk.

Our most powerful documents rely on three. Americans believe man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We never bothered to include in our version, say, the right to property.

We structure so much of our world around 3, too. There are three branches of government, our favorite movie franchises come in trilogies (can you think of a fourth movie that lived up to the original trilogy before it?)...it's interesting. What is this power that compels us to appreciate that which comes in threes? What makes it so poignant?

Schoolhouse Rock was completely right; three is a magic number.