I don't agree with the Threefold Law of Return, but I do like "rules of three" as an experimental strategy. It probably goes back to the writer's rule of three I learned about in junior high English.

Three things that compliment each other can provide better results than just one or two. Using that, I've come up with rulesets that work until I find something better. I spent some time in "hurry up and wait" mode this last week, so I could do some thinking.

My theory is that there's a tripod that defines an effective mage.

The lore behind magick is only one tripod leg. Even there it's about real mastery, not rote recitation. I call it moving beyond the recipe. When you can adapt your technique to what is there and what is needed with a minimum of effort, that's mastery. The lore is about core ideas, not specific practices. That's one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn and I am not good enough with it yet.

The second tripod leg is self knowledge and mastery. This covers everything from muscle memory to psychological baggage. Without this leg, you'll be spending as much time fighting yourself as you are trying to accomplish anything. It's not for nothing that magickal experience forces you to confront your own personal demons.

Our third leg is social engineering. Understanding how your fellow humans think and react is valuable, but it's also important to get them to work outside their particular rulesets. I love Terry Prachett's term "headology."

See, this isn't about problem solving per se, it's about recognizing the dynamic tensions involved, understanding how those forces interact, and applying the exact nudge to get the job done. Anybody can do it with brute force, but a master can do it with a light touch.

For some things, yeah, I'm that good. For most things I am not. Recognizing and using this particular rule of three should help me get better.