Pick me, choose me, love me: the rule of three

This Grey’s Anatomy scene is classic.

Love it or hate it, inspiring or pathetic, there’s no denying it’s memorable because of these six little words: pick me, choose me, love me.

I’ll admit it. I use those words from time to time. Why? Because they work.

More specifically, they work because of the “rule of three.”

photo credit: Stilgherrian

Three ideas, three words or three thoughts strung together have a magical way of “singing.”

Comedians are masters at using the rule of three. Once is funny. Twice is funnier. Three times is funniest. After that, it gets old, stale and rather unfunny.

Use the rule of three in your writing when you want someone to remember something important like this:

• life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
• red, white and blue
• reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmatic

By JanO on 12/2/10, In writing