Why Do Bad Things Always Seem To Happen In 3’s?

Have you ever heard the saying, "Bad things always happen in threes"? It's a phrase that comes up a lot, especially when bad things happen back-to-back. Suddenly, everyone's on the lookout for the third piece of bad news. But why do we think this way? Is there anything to it, or is it just an old wives' tale that has stuck around?

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I came across an article from How Stuff Works that broke down the science. First, it's important to know that this whole notion is more about how our brains work than about how the world works.

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As it turns out, we're pretty good at spotting patterns. This may be known to some as apophenia. Our brains love patterns so much that we'll find them even when they're not there. It may help us make sense of things around us, but sometimes, it can also trick us into connecting dots that don't necessarily connect.

When two bad things happen, our brains start to look for a third, just because we expect it to happen. When a third bad thing does happen, it sticks in our memory, confirming the rule of threes. However, when things don't happen in threes, we tend to overlook it because it doesn't fit the pattern we're expecting.

So, the next time you hear someone say that bad things always happen in threes, remember it's more about us trying to make sense of the world than about the world itself. Our brains can be creative finding patterns and connections everywhere. While it's okay to be superstitious, it's also good to remember that life is full of ups and downs, and they don't always come in packages of three.