The Power of Three

When Sunday mornings dawned, I awoke and made my way to the kitchen to brew some coffee and prepare an English muffin for breakfast. Once all was in the works I made my way to the driveway to retrieve the morning newspaper.

I returned to the kitchen to a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a golden brown toasted muffin. Coffee cup of steaming coffee and a buttered English muffin in hand I made my way to our kitchen table with the Sunday paper. After a prayer of thanks, I sipped my coffee and opened the bundled newspaper and searched for the Parade magazine.

I made it a habit every Sunday to read a particular column in the PARADE magazine, one written by Marilyn vos Savant. She was known for having attained the highest IQ score ever recorded. Most of the questions posed to her that she answered in her weekly column had to do with solving puzzles, riddles or other mathematically oriented challenging queries.

 Marilyn vos Savant

I was not looking for those when I read her column even though some were quite entertaining. What I looked for was her views on life issues.

One of her most fascinating columns was a turning point for me because it was a perfect illustration of the power of three as applied to the process of learning. The question posed to Marilyn was this: If you were on your death bed and had but a few moments to speak your last words to your child, what would you say?

Marilyn’s answer was something I wish I had known when I was a student in school. She said she would tell her child the rule of three in the learning process.

Marilyn explained that the first step was to read the lesson the day prior, in advance of the next class. While reading, the student needed to record any questions that arose and prepare to get the answers during the next day’s class lecture. The key element in this step was reading or seeing the lesson.

The second step was the class lecture itself. Listening during the class lecture the student needed to find the answers to their questions. Any questions not answered, the student needed to get answered either by asking in class or speaking to the teacher afterward. The key element in this step was listening or hearing the lesson.

The third step was to do the homework assignment that applied the lessons presented in the class fortified by the answered questions. The key element in this third step was writing or doing the lesson.

These three steps provided exposure to the essence of the lesson in a threefold manner. First was reading, the second listening and the third doing. The result was not a memorizing exercise but rather a learning one.

I came to realize that this “rule of three” had very interesting effects on getting information into our subconscious mind.

While taking a series of seminars for training budding entrepreneurs, I witnessed a demonstration that I have since performed hundreds of times to the astonishment of those who were willing to engage my little test.

It went something like this:
First I explained a situation that my subject was willing to embrace. I asked them what they saw as their profession and then posed this scenario. If for example they said that they saw themselves as an accountant, I told them that their role in the test was as follows: You have just lost your job; your spouse is in the hospital with a severe illness that has sapped your insurance and life savings. Your children are in great fear; you have no way to pay your bills and you are desperate. I meet you and explain that I am a billionaire and in need of an accountant with your specific background. I am willing to hire you with a $250,000 up front signing bonus. All you need do is pass a simple two part test. My subject normally quickly agrees to the test.

Before I would begin the test I ask them to identify their strongest hand. Part one of the test was using that hand they held their thumb and ring finger tips together. I tell them that at some unknown time during their recitation I will attempt to pull those two fingers apart. If I succeed, they fail the test.

I instruct them to recite the phrase, “I am the best accountant in the world!” five times, using enthusiasm and inflection to convince me of their sincerity. While they are speaking the phrase, I wait till they have recited it at least three times. I attempt to pull their fingers apart, usually as they are saying it the fourth time. When I perform this part of the test, regardless of the gender, age or physical attributes, no matter how hard I try, I fail to pull their fingers apart. Then I move to the second part of the test.

I tell them that they now need to repeat the fivefold pronouncement except that they now add the phrase “I will try to be . . . ” the best accountant in the world. After they say it three times, I easily pull their fingers apart to their great astonishment.

They will usually be thinking, “Wow, what just happened?”

I explained, “When you state the first time that ‘you are’, your conscious mind registers it. When you say it the second time, your conscious mind says ‘Okay, I heard that.’ The third time you said that ‘you are . . . ‘, your conscious mind disregards it and it registers in your subconscious. After three times, I attempt to pull your fingers apart. You use 100% of you strength, and no matter my strength or yours I will never be able to pull your fingers apart.”

I continue, “In the second part of the test, when you insert the phrase ‘I will try . . . ‘ into your pronouncement something interesting happens. In your childhood, when you came running to a parent or teacher facing a failure, they would ask, ‘Did you try?’ and you said, ‘Yes! I tried!’ They said, ‘Well as long as you tried, it’s okay.’ In other words, this childhood programming taught you (and your subconscious) that trying is an acceptable excuse for failure. In the second part of the test, because your subconscious allows it, you subsequently do not give 100% but rather something less, thus allowing me to easily pull your fingers apart.”

Here the rule of three works together with a person’s experience growing up and illustrates the power of three and how negative experiences can influence our subconscious minds.

I applied this lesson often when I was engaged in learning an important subject. I also had opportunity to share this bit of wisdom with others.

One such experience confirmed the truth of the power of three applied to learning. It came when a business colleague asked me to talk to one of his daughters. She was attending college and had serious trouble with her classes. At her mid-term break she had three D’s and two F’s on her mid-term exams. Her dad hoped that I could help her with her grades.

 I spoke with the young lady and asked how she was dealing with the process of learning. She had no understanding of how to approach the art of learning in a college environment. She was frustrated with her inability to gain a sufficient understanding to effectively take an exam. Her poor grades threatened to cause her to leave school.

I explained to her the rule of three as described by Marilyn vos Savant. I encouraged the young lady to take this seriously and told her it would make a big difference. I asked her to share with me the results at the end of the semester and the final exams were completed.

 When the result of her finals came in a few months later, she very excitedly called me to report the results. She had diligently followed the principles I outlined in the rule of three. The final exam scores resulted in her grades for two of the mid-term D’s becoming B’s, the other D became a C and the two F’s became C’s.

The rule of three when applied to any learning experience proves to be very effective. What is important is not memorization of facts, but rather an understanding of the essence of the material. That is true learning.

Sometime in my deliberations over the power of three, I considered the importance of understanding as opposed to memorization in the learning process. I delved into the meaning of three words: Know and Comprehend and Understand.

To “know” something implies that we perceive the fact of something. For example I considered a spoon, a fork and a knife. When I looked at these utensils I “know” that they are distinct items that differ from each other.

When I “comprehend” them, I appreciate that they have different functions as eating utensils. For instance, I would not use a fork to eat soup or a fork to cut meat.

When I “understand” these utensils, I see beyond the obvious name of them and their differences but I see their implications for other diverse uses and applications. These implications could be, for instance, using the knife as a screwdriver, the handle as a hammer, the spoon as a shovel and the fork as a weapon.

Understanding value and importance then is the more complete appreciation of something and the fullness of its potential scope of utility.

 Turning Point

Appreciating and understanding the rule and power of three creates a change in how one approaches the learning experiences that life brings. After all, I am convinced that when we are through learning, we are through! The knowledge and experience with the power of the rule of three make the learning process thrilling and exciting. The younger one is when understanding the rule of three, the more profitable it is for them.

The wisdom in the rule of three is quite compelling. I have witnessed and experienced repeated success when the rule of three is diligently followed and exercised. The truth of this rule can be applied to many learning venues with success.

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