Rule of Three (writing) - Rhetoric and Public Speaking

Rhetoric and Public Speaking

The use of a series of three elements is also a well-known feature of public oratory. Max Atkinson, in his book on oratory entitled Our Masters' Voices gives interesting examples of how public speakers use three-part phrases to generate what he calls 'claptraps', evoking audience applause.

Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights activist and preacher was also known for his uses of tripling and the rule of three throughout his many influential speeches. For example, the speech "Non-Violence and Racial Justice" contained a binary opposition made up of the rule of three: "insult, injustice and exploitation," followed a few lines later by, "justice, good will and brotherhood." Conversely, segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace inveighed: "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" during his 1963 inaugural address.

The appeal of the three-fold pattern is illustrated by the transformation of Winston Churchill's reference to "blood, toil, tears and sweat" (echoing Garibaldi and Theodore Roosevelt) in popular recollection to "blood, sweat and tears."

The Welsh Triads and Irish Triads suggest the use of threes was also a mnemonic device—easy to learn verses that were pointers to other information also committed to memory by Druids.

Generally speaking, lists of three elements are easier to memorize. It is said that a list of four or more is too difficult to memorize, while a list of two or fewer is no list at all. This is echoed by many rhetoricians and policy-makers who recite such lists. Examples include the Navy motto: "Honor, Courage, and Commitment"; in firefighting one extinguishes a fire by removing one of its three needs: "fuel, oxygen, heat". There are countless examples of such lists, often seen in corporate and public policy, self-help, and as general on-your-feet memory recall devices.