The first post I made here dealt with an odd quirk of human nature. I'd like to talk to you about another one. This is a very important subject, very close to my heart: the number two.
You see, my very favorite number is zero. Zero is great: anything you do to it or with it, it remains nothing but zero. Add zero? No change. Subtract zero? Nothing. Multiply by zero? Very neat, very clean, a perfect zero. Divide by zero? Well, that makes you God.
My third-favorite number, fittingly, is the number three. More on this later in the post. But my second-favorite number, also very appropriately, is the number two.
You see, two is the number that governs our universe. More specifically, two possibilities: On, or Off. One, or Zero.
I've often thought it fitting that the computer, the tool and shape of the future, is a binary device. After all, humans are a binary species, both mentally and physiologically.
There are, after all, two genders, two arms, two legs, two ears, two lungs, two eyes; everything we possess, we possess in duplicate: equal, mirrored, and opposite. And what is more, we think in binary: There are always two sides to every coin, two sides to every conflict. Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Light and Dark.
It all happens in twos.
And so here is the quirk I was mentioning: We think in twos, we live in twos, we are, in fact, composed of nothing but twos. So why do we write in threes?
I mean, you need look no further than this post to see numerous examples of triplets in writing. "Think in twos, live in twos, are, in fact, twos." "Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Light and Dark." And I'm sure there are tons more: writing naturally falls into threes. Speech, as well, although this is especially true of those trained in rhetoric or acting. Listen to any successful politician talk: the concepts are in twos, but the words come in threes.
Want to know how to appear erudite and well-spoken? Talk in threes. Best advice I was ever given for job interviews (Well, other than "shower first"). Want to know how to make people listen as you build to a climax? Talk in threes. Want to know how to talk? Threes, threes, threes.
Yeah, you all see what I did there.
I don't know why it is, but damned if it doesn't work. We think in twos, but we talk in threes.
Weird, huh?
Moving (New Blog)
13 years ago
2 comments:
And let me tell you folks, nobody knows how to get a job like Etarran. You would do well to listen to his advice.
Incidently my favourite number is
1. Take a one, and with just a tiny bit of manipulation, you can get any number at all. People who know me may also understand that numbers appeal to me.
I would suggest that we talk in threes either as an accidental ingrained habit that evolved over time or because to have someone add a step to the thoughts we already possess induces respect. Also, it's sufficient repetition to be powerful but not sufficient repetition to be annoying.
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