The Law of Three “made easy”

Don’t take as guaranteed the title of this post. The reason for writing another explanation about a topic that has already been discussed on the pages of this blog , is that for many, the argument is still foggy, confused.

“Ok, I understood… there are three forces that happens in everything I do in my life. So? What can I do?”

Probably, before asking what to do, it should be useful to learn to notice and recognize these forces when and as they happen.

Seen that this argument is more for the insiders; namely for those that have already begun a path for self-development, maybe it would be useful to repostulate what expresses this law, so it will become easier to understand what we are speaking about.

It’s a common experience to have decided to set ourselves a task such as a diet, to stop smoking, become less nervous, less tense, less agressive, to go daily to the gym, to stop performing every annoying habit that produces unpleasant or even dangerous consequences… and eventually to have failed to  maintain the aim.

Even those who try to establish a practice of self-observation have surely noticed that maintaining the aim for a constant practice is very difficult and almost impossible.

What’s the reason for all these “failures”?

This incapacity to persevere until the achievement of a goal is related to the Law of Three.

Let’s analyze what happens by using the example of a diet, but the same can be done with every action.

Why isn’t one able to persevere on a diet when one had already understood that he needs it, when he had already decided to perform it? Why does he succeed to maintain this diet for a period of time and then returns to the old dietary habits?

The cause is the Law of Three or, better said, the incapacity to “manage” it.

This law, such as every other law,  doesn’t have to be considered as something  “negative”. It’s one of the natural laws that governs and maintains the known universe. It is present everywhere in Nature, so it interferes in everything that happens in and around us.

But, concerning every aspect related with an attempt to change something inside or outside of us, it results in a problem. This law, such as every other law, seems to be a “double-edged sword”.

So, after having read the previous post concerning this argument, let’s try to make a “practical” example which could describe it as it interferes in our lives.

For example, I wish to stop with scratch my nose (and this is a great and demanding task). There is a “positive”, creative force filled with all the good and wise purposes which pushes me to perform this shift, and it develops rapidly and makes me wake up one day with the decision to change this behaviour. I have had enough of being nervous and in a perpetually negative mood: from today, I’ll avoid scratching  my nose.

Fine!

The problem is that there is a “negative” or, better described, “conservative” force aiming to maintain the status quo – my habits, the way I am used to reacting.  It’s an energy in the real meaning of the term – a strong energy that has been fed and consolidated through years, which is based on mechanical (habitual) habits. Such habits are so easy to perform that often we don’t notice doing them and they require a very low amount of energy. Indeed, these are our habits.

Let’s hypothesize that I wake up every day and begin with scratching my nose and I do this often (too often) during the course of the day; for me this seems natural, it’s a thing that happens every day, so I don’t take any effort to produce this state: indeed, it is produced by me.

If my mood is to scratch my nose like a monkey, and after once noticed,  I’ll need a large amount of energy and a strong will that I don’t have.

The positive energy that had begun with this decision of shift will be sufficient to choose to stop this behaviour and hopefully succeed.

Which of the two energies will gain the upper hand?

Maybe, at the beginning, the positive force will be intense enough to overcome the conservative force, and this usually happens because of several factors that are of an emotional nature (i.e.: it’s repugnant, non-attractive, it deforms my nose, people can’t see me when I perform this, etc…); in this phase, the positive force will have the same intensitiy of the conservative one.

But it will be enough of a preoccupation, a mild anxiety or just a thought to take all this energy and the behaviour that will “gain the upper hand” will be the one that needs less energy: the conservative, namely the habit. I’ll forget all my good purposes and let myself continue with scratching my nose.

Usually, this is the end of the story.

But this defeat could be avoided. It all depends on a third principle – a force able to resolve the conflict and allow the realization of the shift – at least, for this time.

If I have this third force, it will hold the positive force. Otherwise, all my intentions will be destined to fail.

The positive, creative force is the one that begins something new, but it’s the third one that is indispensable to continue my aim.

In the case of scratching the nose, such as in the majority of cases, the third force lies in the motivation – namely, the reason why I decided to stop with this disgusting behaviour. If the motivation isn’t strong enough, a downfall will happen, namely the conservative force will win. We are often convinced to have a motivation, but it couldn’t be so.

If, otherwise, we have a strong motivation in order to appear more elegant, more accepted by others, to appear less “disgusting” in the eyes of a person we are in love with, we’ll have this third force – a flow of energy that will allow us to maintain our purpose during the whole duration of the day.

The example of application of the Law of Three can be found everywhere, and everyone can find it in their own life.

Everytime you wish to change something, try to focus on the third force. If you succeed, through time you’ll be able to do whatever you wish.

Simple, but not easy. But, also possible.

It all depends on us.