South Africa and the rule of three

15th June 2018

By: Riaan de Lange

     

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So, how do you want to be remembered? As a sinner or a saint, as a hero or a villain?

The foregoing two sentences, with the exception of ‘so’, are the opening lyrics of the song by reggae fusion band Magic, which derives its title from the opening verse. The thing is, it does not adhere to the rule of three. As a consequence, it is considered an incomplete response. This is according to the rule of three, also known as the power of three. Could the lyrics lack ‘follower’ or ‘leader’ as its third element? This might well be the case.

Only a matter of minutes before writing this column, I had to endure the Springboks, around pumpkin hour, surrendering their victory to Wales. There is a book called The Victory of Surrender . . . but I digress. With only three touches of his right boot, no less, the Springbok substitute flyhalf managed, within minutes, to score three points, kick one. Kick two was charged down, as was kick three, resulting in a five pointer that settled the loss. This reminded me of my grandmother, who religiously believed that bad luck, and even bad things, happened in threes.

But let us not dwell in the past, for there is not much to be gained by considering the what-if’s, or what could have been. There is precious little that could be gained from any post-mortem.

Back to the rule of three. The rule of three is a writing principle that suggests that a trio of events, instances or characters is more humorous, satisfying or effective than any other number in the execution of the message and in the engagement of the reader. As a consequence, you, the reader, are more likely to remember what you have read, or, in this instance, are about to read. Even the Romans understood the rule of three, proclaiming “omne trium perfectum”, which means everything that is of three is perfect or every set of three is complete.

When I think of the rule of three, Charles DickensA Christmas Carol always springs to mind. I recall Marley’s Ghost telling Ebenezer Scrooge that he could expect to receive visits from three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

But there is another trio which is not the tale of fiction, but rather of life, the speeches of which many of us should make an effort to read, and even to reread. It is of the civil rights activist and preacher, Martin Luther King Jr, who understood the rule of three, which can be found throughout his many speeches and preaches. The most often cited is from his speech, ‘Non-Violence and Racial Justice’, in which he makes reference to insult, injustice and exploitation.

South Africans should do well to consider the insights offered in the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the words of Martin Luther King Jr.

It does not matter where you get your news – the traditional way, newspapers and television, or social media – it contains much insult and very little praise of anything. The news highlights injustices past, present and to be perpetuated in the future. It is as if South Africa’s divided people are united in their belief that, if someone fails, they will succeed. This warped logic holds that taking from one and giving to another would benefit the collective.

This kind of reasoning is devoid of the wisdom that my mother imparted to me: “Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter.” Unfortunately, I cannot find a reliable reference to attribute this to.

It is my contention that South Africa faces three challenges that require a collective effort, if we are to find an equitable, viable and morally justifiable solution. These are the rehabilitation of State-owned enterprises, land reform and achieving social and economic equality.

If the solution to the conundrum, or rather the three, cannot be found, then South Africa would have all the hallmarks of an impending perfect disaster.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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