3 things

We list like this for a reason. Also, 7 other things worth your time.

My mom tells a story from when I was very young—barely 3 or 4 years old. My grandfather asked me what I hoped to learn at preschool. 

"Three things," I replied. "How to read, how to play the piano, and how not to cry when I have a shampoo."

I share this story not just to point out my long-ago comedic timing, but also as my own personal proof that we're hard-wired to be receptive to the single, simplest, most powerful rule of communication.

It’s the Rule of 3, and it underpins some of the most effective speeches, jokes, and stories that we all know.

A few examples:

• During times of peril, we talk about dedicating "blood, sweat, and tears" to the cause, about a government "of the people, by the people, for the people," and for values including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

• When we're children, we read stories about the Three Little Pigs, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. If you’re roughly my age, maybe you even remember: “a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of…