The Number 3 – Good or Bad?
In every culture, and even in every religion, there are both lucky and unlucky numbers. Some numbers that are known to be good, or lucky, in one belief system may be considered to be unlucky, or bad, in another. This is how the number three is viewed. The number three can be both good and bad, depending on the culture you are considering.
Many cultures determine whether a number is lucky or not simply by the way it sounds. Let’s take the Chinese culture, for instance. The Chinese believe that the number three is good or lucky, based simply on the way the word sounds when spoken. In the Chinese language, the number three sounds like the word “alive” which is considered to be very good luck. The opposite can be said of the number four, which sounds like the word “death”. There are plenty of arguments about the validity of these beliefs, however. Even in one language, such as Chinese, different dialects will change the way a word is pronounced, thus negating the basis for a number being lucky or not.
In many other cultures, three plays a prominent role, in a positive way. Using the number three is very common when a group of people are about to perform an action together. How often have you heard, “Now, on the count of three…”? You have probably heard this, or said it yourself, too many times to count. On one hand, the frequent use of the number three can be a good sign. On the other, it can be argued that since a group of people will be engaging in the same action in synchrony, the first two counts are needed to establish the rate. Since everyone will know when “three” will happen, the action can take place. Whether this is considered to be lucky or not is best left to personal experience and interpretation.
The number three, though associated with good and luck in many cultures, is also associated with unlucky situations and bad circumstances in others. For example, in Vietnam, it is bad luck to take a photograph with three people in it. It simply isn’t done. In Thailand, there are special places (like bathrooms; restaurants; living areas) for people of the third sex, or third gender. In more Western cultures, three is also associated with negative circumstances. Ever heard of the “three on a match” theory? It is unlucky to be the third person to light a cigarette from the same lighter or match. This theory is thought to have been derived from the trenched of World War I.
The number three is all around us. It can be both good and bad, depending on how you choose to look at it. Things tend to “come in threes” like good and bad luck, or even deaths. In baseball, and sometimes in real life, you only get three strikes and then you’re out. But then again, the third time’s a charm!
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