The Rule of Three

One anomaly is noise. Two is a coincidence. Three is a decision point — when you observe three indicators, you act.

Observation without a threshold leads to paralysis: you can always wait for more information. The Rule of Three gives you a trigger. A single anomaly might be nothing. Two could be coincidence. But three independent indicators pointing the same way is a pattern, and a pattern demands a decision.

The rule is a forcing function, not a law of nature. Its job is to stop you rationalizing away a growing pile of signals, and to convert observation into action before bang.

'Decision' doesn't always mean confrontation. It can mean leaving, creating distance, alerting someone, or moving to a better position. The point is that three indicators means you do something.