Why your brain is hardwired for trios
The simple rule of three that will ramp up your writing
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 263
I have a simple rule for making my writing stick.
It’s not a complex algorithm or a secret grammar hack.
It’s as old as Aristotle and as modern as a Super Bowl commercial.
It’s the Rule of Three.
Think about it.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Blood, sweat, and tears.
Stop, Look, and Listen.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
We are surrounded by grammatical trios—groups of three—knives, forks, and spoons. Coffee, cream, and sugar. And so on.
And it’s not an accident.
We hone in on groups of items in text because the human brain is designed to seek out and recognize patterns, and three is the smallest number of items needed to create a pattern that feels complete, memorable, and satisfying.
A single point is a statement. A one off. This. That. The other.
Two points is a comparison, a conflict. This and that. Up and down.
But three of anything creates the basis of a rhythm.
Three of something establishes a core cluster: a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Three is the basic structure of a story.
It’s a logical progression of this, that, and the other. It’s as much a comedic setup as it is the holy trinity of effective communication.
So why are we so neurologically predisposed to look for and to respond to this triad? I believe it comes down to cognitive ease, fractional familiarity, and to some sort of emotional payoff.
One piece of information is easy to hold in your working memory.
Two pieces of information create a relationship: you’re comparing and contrasting.
But when you hit that third point, something clicks.
The pattern gets locked in.
It feels solid. Real. Resolved.
Think of the phenomenon as a stool: with two legs the structure is wobbly and unstable, but when you bring in the third leg, suddenly you introduce a foundation.
Three legs allows you to stand on the idea.
Our ancient brains are hardwired to find simplistic comfort in this stability; three of something signals understanding, familiarity, and control.
This isn’t just a theory for poets and speechwriters. It’s a fundamental tool of persuasion. In marketing, we don’t say our product is “fast and reliable.” We say it’s “fast, reliable, and secure.”
That third attribute completes the picture of a superior product.
In storytelling, we have the three-act structure. In comedy, the rule of three is the engine of the classic setup: a priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar...
The first two establish the pattern, the third subverts it for the punchline. The brain delights in that completed, and often surprising, pattern.
Contrast this with a list of four or five items and the brain begins to struggle. Suddenly, you have to work harder to remember the elements in the right order.
The cleaner pattern of three items becomes a cluttered inventory. The ease and the magic get a little lost. While two of something often feels incomplete, four or five os something starts to feel like a chore. Three then is the sweet spot between monotony and mess.
In my own work, I use the rule of three relentlessly.
When crafting a client’s value proposition, I don’t list ten features. I distill them into three core pillars.
When writing a headline, I look for a trio of powerful, evocative words.
When structuring an argument, I present it on three supporting legs.
Using three of something forces me to clarify my meaning and to prioritize what truly matters. I’ve found that it’s a discipline that leads to better, sharper communication.
This isn’t about dumbing things down.
It’s about harnessing the natural architecture of human cognition.
We are creatures who find meaning in patterns—the three seasons, the three primary colors, the three dimensions we inhabit.
So the next time you write an email, a presentation, or a social media post, pause.
Look at your key points.
Can you group them into a cluster?
Can you distill that cluster into three elements?
Can you find that powerful, resonant trio?
Your reader’s brain is already waiting for it. It’s listening for that rhythm. Give it the satisfaction of a pattern completed, and your message won’t just be heard—it will be remembered.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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Next time on Shaking the Tree: How Overthinking is Killing Your Content
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.