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Why is it always "two things"?
Old 09-12-2010, 06:51 PM   #1
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Why is it always "two things"?

In business, on TV, talk radio, etc. I frequently hear someone citing "two things".

Example: when a co-worker, boss, consultant, a maven in the media, etc. is making a point, they will often say, "two things -- first, blah blah blah, and second -- blah blah blah..."

It's never one thing, three things, or four things, it's always TWO things.

I hear this ALL THE TIME.

Anyone else?
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Old 09-12-2010, 06:56 PM   #2
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Look up 'the rule of 3'
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Old 09-12-2010, 06:57 PM   #3
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Why? Well, there are really two reasons............
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Old 09-12-2010, 06:57 PM   #4
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Two things about that. First most people are simpletons and can only thing two things in advance and second when someone says alright I see a few things wrong with that the other person will start arguing before the second item is finished being stated.
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Old 09-12-2010, 07:11 PM   #5
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I guess because...'if it's not one thing, it's another'.....
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Old 09-12-2010, 07:15 PM   #6
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yin and yang
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Old 09-12-2010, 07:19 PM   #7
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Laurel and Hardy....
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Old 09-12-2010, 07:44 PM   #8
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Hmmm didn't think about that....dualism might explain it...in our collective unconscious perhaps...
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Old 09-13-2010, 06:24 AM   #9
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With speeches the default was always to start with a promiss to talk about 3 things, briefly state them, expand on each, and close with a concluding summary. With 60 second limits maybe the TV guys can't go with a full blown speech.
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Old 09-13-2010, 07:02 AM   #10
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Two 4 U:
Batman-Robin-Photograph-C12150175.jpg

Three 4 Thee:
Batman-and-robin-screen-2.jpg

Of course we could talk about what each of these pictures represent (what kind of relationship did Batman & Robin really have in those early years, and did Batgirl come between them later on?), but that's just some net humor ...
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Old 09-13-2010, 07:15 AM   #11
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If is not one thing its another.... Doesn't leave much room for anything else does it?
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Old 09-13-2010, 07:45 AM   #12
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Short attention spans.
Must limit TV answers to less than 45 seconds.
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Old 09-13-2010, 08:38 AM   #13
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Three things are more poetic: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Four's not bad: John, Paul, George, Ringo.
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Old 09-13-2010, 11:05 AM   #14
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Of course, as my computer literate friend would write, there are REALLY 10 types of people in the world -

Those who understand binary, and those who don't....
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Old 09-13-2010, 03:02 PM   #15
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Whenever someone says 'two things" I picture Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thanks Dr Seuss.
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Old 09-13-2010, 03:28 PM   #16
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It's the one-two punch?
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Old 09-13-2010, 04:29 PM   #17
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I haven't heard the "two things" enough to notice, but I don't watch those business shows much. The one that drives me nuts is the "bad things happen in 3s" claim. I mean, like the day that Jacko and Farrah died, people went scrambling to find a 3rd. Say, didn't Ed McMahon die a couple days ago? That's it! See, these things happen in 3s!
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Old 09-13-2010, 10:25 PM   #18
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Two? no no! Let's hear it for THREE

Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Three Blind Mice.
The Three Little Pigs.

Or, if fairy tales don't float your boat, then we have

The Three Musketeers.
Three dimensional space.
Peter, Paul, and Mary
and so many more
...
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