Good things come in threes
We have a natural tendency to gravitate towards, and remember, things that come in threes…
“Once is luck, twice is coincidence and three times is a pattern.”
With the third month of the year now upon us, delving into the fascinating rule of three and how it relates to &Beyond and the world of travel seemed only fitting.
The rule (or power) of three is an age-old writing technique that implies that things that come in threes are inherently more satisfying and effective to readers. We have a natural, ingrained tendency to gravitate towards and respond positively to things that come in threes. Not only that, but we also tend to remember things in sets of threes.
As complex as the human brain is, we can actually only retain a small amount of information at once. An audience will typically only remember three things from a presentation or speech, so if you want something to stick out in their minds, present it as a trio. Short, memorable patterns are easier for us to remember.
If you look closely, you’ll realise the rule of three is all around us.
Third time’s a charm
Right down to our very core, an atom consists of three parts and we all share the same earthly existence: birth, life and death; past, present and future; mind, body and spirit. Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Our world has three primary colours, we eat three meals a day (sometimes three-course) and we’re either small, medium or large. We adhere to the same red, yellow and green lights of the universal traffic light and in sport we glorify the bronze, silver and gold.
As children, our imaginations are regaled with fairytale and nursery rhyme trios: three little pigs; three blind mice; Goldilocks and the three bears; Cinderella and her evil stepsisters; and Aladdin’s Genie, who grants not one, but three wishes. The three musketeers eventually inspired the three stooges and the three amigos. We played rock, paper, scissors and many a joke started with “three guys walk into a bar….”
The rule of three even applies to the simplest of childhood (and adulthood) learnings: ready, set, go; stop, look and listen; stop, drop and roll; reduce, reuse, recycle; location, location, location. And have you noticed how many powerful brands use the power of three to reinforce their marketing? Just do it. I’m lovin’ it. Coke is it.
The power of three and beyond
The travel world is not without its own popular triads. There’s the rule of three packing philosophy, which claims that if you pack three of everything, you’ll triple your mix-and-match capabilities. When it comes to photography and all things Instagram, the rule of thirds ensures not only a well-balanced and eye-pleasing photograph, but also a dynamic Instagram feed.
At &Beyond, we’re also big fans of the lucky number three and the rule of three is prominent in everything we do. We have been delighting guests with unforgettable travel experiences for almost three decades. Not only do we operate on three bucket list worthy continents, but there are three &Beyond islands within our portfolio too.
Most importantly, our three-pronged 3C impact model of caring for the land, wildlife and people, ensures that we are doing as much as we possibly can to help leave our world (the third rock from the sun) a better place. Three cheers for that!
SEE WHAT LIES BEYOND
Travel light, travel responsibly and travel often. Below are some travel trios to whet your appetite.
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