Friday, July 26, 2019

The Power of Three

Thought for the day: To thrive in life, you need three bones: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone. [Reba McEntire]

[courtesy of unsplash]
Have you ever given any thought to the alleged power of the number three? Fans of the TV show Charmed know that the three witch sisters' powers were greatly magnified when they worked as a unit, but in general, threesomes kinda permeate our lives, if you think about it.

Maybe the original notion about the strength of the number three stems from the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but I don't know that for a fact. We had the three wise men, of course. And how about that much-beloved prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr that says: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

In the writing world, it's pretty much accepted that things that come in threes are somehow funnier or more effective and satisfying than other groupings. For example, there's the three little pigs, the three musketeers, the three blind mice, and Goldilocks and the three bears. Also, the majority of plays are written in three acts, and the recommended guideline for the storytelling arc is comprised of  a three-act structure.(Are you sensing a trend?)

Then there's comedy.

Think about all the jokes you've heard that begin with a grouping of three whatevers walking into a bar.

And many jokes rely on a three-part punch line, too. Like this one: I can't think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and not being able to remember their name, or how you met, or why they're dead. [Laura Knightlinger]

[courtesy of wikipedia]





How about the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil monkeys? (I wonder why there's no DO no evil...)








Many well-known phrases are more memorable because of the effective use of threesomes:
  • Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
  • Of the people, by the people, and for the people
  • Friends, Romans, and countrymen
  • Veni, vidi, vici
  • Faith, hope, and charity
  • Blood, sweat, and tears
  • Location, location, location
And I bet you can name a bunch more of them.

But did you know that the power of three even extends into the animal kingdom? No? Well then, consider the following:





I wish I could acknowledge where those five photos came from, because they're what prompted me to write this post in the first place. A friend sent them to me many years ago, and I liked 'em, so I kept 'em. The following pics came courtesy of unsplash:














Okay, so technically, those last three aren't exactly animals... but they sure are cute, aren't they?

Sheesh. This turned into a kinda long post, considering I wrote it just so I could post those five pictures a friend... and I don't even remember which friend... sent me years ago. Still, I kinda like it.

                               I think maybe it may even deserve an award of some kind...

                                  Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

                                        Save water... take a shower with two friends...

56 comments:

  1. Three cheers for this post.
    Which produced several more than three smiles.

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    1. Super! Then my job here is done. Done. Done. :) :) :)

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  2. Fun post with all those threes! Thanks for the smiles to start off my hot day! Hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here's hoping the weather cools a bit for you.

      Hugs back atcha. Have a super weekend.

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  3. There is no doubt there is something special about the number three. And seven. Seems seven comes up a lot too. Maybe one day we'll find out. I've always thought the first few days in Heaven part of the orientation is learning all of the secrets of the universe.

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    1. Me, too. Numbers have a bit of a mystical power about them, which is one of the reasons I love math and sudoku puzzles. The nerd in me delights in their symmetry.

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  4. Perhaps we are allowed to DO evil, as long as no one hears about it, sees it, or talks about it. So keep it behind closed doors. I've heard about the power of three, if you do evil to another, the evil comes back at you threefold. Nobody wants that I'm sure. I love all those images of three. And now I'm wondering why there aren't more tri[lets born in the world. although a lot of families do have three children.

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    1. Behind closed doors, eh? I'll try to keep that in mind the next time I have an evil urge...

      We've got three kids. Or, as my goofy husband likes to say... "one of each."

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  5. There is something about the number 3, and I can't help but think it has some biblical origin, I mean the number of the beast is 666 (three numbers). Who knows. But this also puts into mind the 11:11 phenomena. I still, almost every day, look at the clock and see 11:11 staring back at me. Cannot be explained.

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    1. I think you're right. There's a lot more to numbers than we realize. If you noticed, this post went live at 12:34 AM, just as they always do. :)

      One of my daughters-in-law has a thing about 11:11, too. She notices that grouping all the time, and you guys aren't alone. If you do a Google search, you'll see that numerologists place quite a bit of meaning to those numbers.

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  6. In writing, three examples offers the right rhythm. For whatever reason, your pictures do, too! I love 3st!

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    1. Woo HOO!!! ♪♫ I got rhythm...♫♪

      I like 3st, too, but not nearly as much as not having 3st. That's why I drink so much water... :)

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  7. three amigos, but two's company three's a crowd. Fun post as always.
    Enjoy your weekend

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    1. HA. True, but then again, it depends on who the three are...

      You enjoy your weekend, too.

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  8. I am a full fledged member of The Three Club. I like things in odd numbers, even just never seems right. If not three, then it must be five, if not five, then seven. With spouses, I like to stay with one. I always thought I was the odd man out, but with your post, I see that I am perfectly normal which I am not sure I like.

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    1. Perfectly normal ain't so bad, especially for someone who's one of a kind, like you are, sweet lady.

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  9. Like that picture of the elephants.... the baby is so well protected.

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    1. I especially like that picture, too. Elephants are marvelous creatures. Gentle giants.

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  10. And why is there no THINK no evil? Hmmmm????? The power of three...bad things come in threes they say and sure enough they usually do.Then I think the universe gets tired and needs a rest before the next hit. Three doesn't always work though, I've heard that two is company and three's a crowd lol.

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    1. Well, I have a feeling if we got punished for THINKING evil, we might all be in trouble...

      Geez, how could I forget about the troubles coming in threes? Especially since that adage played such an important role in my first book... Must be losing it. :)

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  11. This is a fantastic post, Susan, because the "Three" motif is so obvious, yet it's something I never thought of.
    I don't know if this was already mentioned, but I'm thinking of three coins in the fountain and the third try is the charm.

    Those photos of animal trios are wonderful!

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    1. Oooh, Three Coins in the Fountain! Good song and good movie. :)

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  12. The phrase, "and baby makes three" comes to my mind. Cute post. I enjoyed all the animal trio pictures. Have a great weekend!

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    1. That's a good one. (Now, that song is playing in my head..)

      You have a great weekend, too!

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  13. I guess for everything the third time is the charm. Or 3 strikes and your out. But isn't three a crowd? Hey, it all beats being three sheets to the wind.

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    1. All good ones. Now I'm curious about the 3 sheets to the wind. We've all heard it, but I wonder how it came to mean inebriated...?

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  14. So enjoyed this post. Three or odd numbers in decorating or art is better than two.
    Your eye is always trying to even two out never works. It is uncomfortable.
    I love the last three nomes so adorable !
    parsnip

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    1. I never thought about the art side of three. Very interesting!

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  15. There is definitely something about threesomes. I think it's that three is just enough to establish a pattern. Two is too few, and four is overkill.

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    1. That sounds reasonable. Our brains try to find patterns, even where they don't exist, so it makes sense that groups of three are appealing to our pattern-seeking minds.

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  16. Prime #s make for great arrangements. Had to do a double take.

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    1. Up to a certain point, anyway. Too-large groupings can be a bit overwhelming.

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  17. When being taught to paint and draw, I remember learning that groups (of people, animals, trees etc) should always be in odd numbers, 3, 5 7 etc. You are definitely correct about the Holy Trinity being the source of threes. Shakespeare was well on top of that!
    I think The Botanist is into threesomes!
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s righteously rebarbative Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. How interesting. That reinforces what artist angryparsnip had to say.

      As for Ian being into threesomes, I ain't touching that one... :)

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  18. Fascinating post, Susan. I remember when I was very young, 3 was always my favorite number for some reason. Although the saying that comes to mind is what my mom used to say about friendships and relationships "Two's company, three's a crowd."

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    1. Thanks, Karen. I'm glad you liked it.

      I've always been drawn to the number three, too. And what my mother used to say was, "There's no such thing as three girlfriends." She said somebody always got left out. Maybe that's why, when I was in high school, I was especially close to three other gals. We were known as the four musketeers... :)

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  19. Congratulations on 3st Place! (*smiling big*) Like Karen, I'm fascinated. And great readers' suggestions! How about the Trelegy (Rx) commercial?
    https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dM4d/trelegy-three-in-one-medicine

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    1. Thanks! 3st place is better than nothing! :)

      Trelegy is another great example.

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  20. Wow - I'd never thought about it, but you are absolutely right! Now I'm trying to think of more examples.

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  21. Numbers in general are fascinating, friend Sue. My favourites are 3, 4 and 7. Have been studying these numbers since child hood. Courses are offered year round and open to everyone everywhere at "SOLLL University" (School Of Life Long Learning) … No tuition fees nor student loans cuz its free, no graduates nor degrees cuz it is a life long adventure … smiles … Much love, cat.

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    1. Life-long adventures are the best kind. (Especially when they're FREE!) I've always had a fascination for numbers, too, and an appreciation math's intricate relationship with life and the universe.

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  22. I always believe in numbers and numerology sounds interesting to me.

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    1. Sounds interesting to me, too. (Great minds think alike. HA!)

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  23. Hi Susan - my number is 13 ... but threes seem to rule - not sure mathematically though ... my brain doesn't take me there! But I've post a three today ... triplets ...

    Things come in threes apparently ... the only thing I do/did in threes is plant plants or shrubs, and set cut flowers in threes too ... SoiLLL uni sounds fun! - seems blogging fits under that guise. Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi-ya, Hilary.

      Since I was born on the 13th, I've always thought of it as a lucky number. :)

      You're right. We can learn an awful lot by reading blogs. (ALSO free!)

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  24. Yes, the power of threes are everywhere.

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  25. To my logic...one is one and three would be better than one anytime!

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    1. Works for me! (Unless we're counting things like broken bones...)

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  26. My pagan heart can't help bringing up the three stages of the Goddess: Maid, Mother, Crone :-) Crone sounds rough but it is the best and cumulative phase.
    Also I have a friend with triplet daughters - two are identical. Her husband was set on having 3 children - she said let's start with one, so it was kind of a compromise, one pregnancy, three babies :-) And their birthday is Halloween! xx

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    1. Hmmm, I think maybe I'm a... crone?

      I love your story. Three is a great number, and I have three children, but hats off to anyone who can handle triplets! Yipes! I'm thinking three in diapers at the same time.... three learning to drive at the same time... three going to college at the same time... wow.

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  27. The reason there is no "do no evil" monkey is because they are totally evil... (or at least one in Thailand was as he/she made off with my lunch when my back was turned) on a hike.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. Just goes to show ya. Never turn your back on a monkey! (Especially when food is involved.)

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