--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nearly everything in life goes in threes…" description: "\"Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours.\" — Ninette de Valois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png" --- # Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours. ![“Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours.” quote by Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png) > “Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours.” [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes that many patterns naturally form in groups of three or four. **In simple terms:** Life often groups things in threes and fours. Key Takeaway Notice and use natural groupings. Themes pattern rhythm structure Mood analytical observational Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - music composition - visual art - teaching - project planning - team building Key Concepts numerology balance design Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply groupings to improve design? - What exceptions have you seen? A Different Perspective Not all phenomena follow this rule. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fours/) [Goes Threes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-threes-4220098/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Goes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-goes/) [Threes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threes-355568/) [Threes Fours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threes-fours-4220097/) ## Related quotes > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [I've always admired that kind of back-to-the-basket game. That's what I grew up watching. But who doesn't like stepping out and shooting threes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lopez/i-ve-always-admired-that-kind-of-back-to-the-basket-game-that-s-what/) [Robin Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lopez/) > [I work on threes a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaren-jackson-jr/i-work-on-threes-a-lot/) [Jaren Jackson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaren-jackson-jr/) > [I run around a lot. I shoot a lot of threes. And that's just kind of what I've done since I was really young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-korver/i-run-around-a-lot-i-shoot-a-lot-of-threes-and-that-s-just-kind-of/) [Kyle Korver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-korver/) > [I don't like 7-footers shooting threes, it's a disrespect to the game for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-oakley/i-don-t-like-7-footers-shooting-threes-it-s-a-disrespect-to-the-game/) [Charles Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-oakley/) > [“I think in threes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-wilson/i-think-in-threes/) [Tobin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-wilson/) > [I didn't get a chance to shoot any threes at all in the offense we ran at Wake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collins/i-didn-t-get-a-chance-to-shoot-any-threes-at-all-in-the-offense-we/) [John Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collins/) > [Anytime we take that many threes, we're not winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/anytime-we-take-that-many-threes-we-re-not-winning/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [“Storybook events come in threes. So, it seems, does Hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/storybook-events-come-in-threes-so-it-seems-does-hell/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [If a guy hits seven contested threes, tip your hat off to him. Good game. But in most of the cases, that won't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-beverley/if-a-guy-hits-seven-contested-threes-tip-your-hat-off-to-him-good/) [Patrick Beverley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-beverley/) > [“Complication comes in threes: love triangles, third wheels, the trinity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-oliva/complication-comes-in-threes-love-triangles-third-wheels-the-trinity/) [Alexandra Oliva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-oliva/) > [When you love someone, there are no top tens, best fives and no final threes. There is only One, your One and only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chiddy-genius/when-you-love-someone-there-are-no-top-tens-best-fives-and-no-final/) [Don Chiddy Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chiddy-genius/) > [Pair up in threes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pair-up-in-threes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ok you guys, pair up in threes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/ok-you-guys-pair-up-in-threes/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Point guards love it when a guy can pick and pop and make a shot and make threes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-budenholzer/point-guards-love-it-when-a-guy-can-pick-and-pop-and-make-a-shot-and/) [Mike Budenholzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-budenholzer/) ## More by Ninette de Valois > [You can't dance until you've learnt steps, the things your feet can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/you-can-t-dance-until-you-ve-learnt-steps-the-things-your-feet-can-do/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [Somebody must always be doing something new, or life would get very dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/somebody-must-always-be-doing-something-new-or-life-would-get-very/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [Nothing is done easily, first have the thing, then the thing has a success, then all sorts of difficulties arise through the success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/nothing-is-done-easily-first-have-the-thing-then-the-thing-has-a/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [Classical ballet will never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/classical-ballet-will-never-die/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [All Ballets' fundamental steps are derived from the folk dances of Western Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/all-ballets-fundamental-steps-are-derived-from-the-folk-dances-of/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [There's nothing in the world that isn't good, bad, and indifferent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/there-s-nothing-in-the-world-that-isn-t-good-bad-and-indifferent/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [You cannot create genius. All you can do is nurture it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/you-cannot-create-genius-all-you-can-do-is-nurture-it/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [No no, we ALL teach each other, whether it's dancing, whether it's singing, whether it's talking, we all listen to each other. That's progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/no-no-we-all-teach-each-other-whether-it-s-dancing-whether-it-s/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [God gave us all exactly the same fingers, arms, legs, and feet, but in our different countries we divided them all a little differently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/god-gave-us-all-exactly-the-same-fingers-arms-legs-and-feet-but-in/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [You never advance without losing something en passant... you lose it because you're paying so much attention to the new thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/you-never-advance-without-losing-something-en-passant-you-lose-it/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [Well, I mean, we are developing the other parts, and we can't give quite all our attention to the upper part, but soon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/well-i-mean-we-are-developing-the-other-parts-and-we-can-t-give-quite/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [We are developing the other parts, and we can't give quite all our attention to the upper part, but soon the lower parts will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/we-are-developing-the-other-parts-and-we-can-t-give-quite-all-our/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [The smile is the dance of the face - the dance is the smile of the limbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/the-smile-is-the-dance-of-the-face-the-dance-is-the-smile-of-the-limbs/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [It's either not good enough and dies altogether, or it develops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/it-s-either-not-good-enough-and-dies-altogether-or-it-develops/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [As time goes on, all schools only get left alive if they have found something special themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/as-time-goes-on-all-schools-only-get-left-alive-if-they-have-found/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) [Explore all 29 Ninette de Valois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) ## More Fours quotes > [I began to realize that some of the things Ornette Coleman had said about things being played three or fours ways, independently of each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-began-to-realize-that-some-of-the-things-ornette-coleman-had-said/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [When a doting person gets down on all fours and plays with a puppy's rubber mouse, for instance, it only confuses the young dog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-ford/when-a-doting-person-gets-down-on-all-fours-and-plays-with-a-puppy-s/) [Corey Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-ford/) > [The black man will inherit the earth; he will resume control, taking back the position he held centuries ago when the white devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-black-man-will-inherit-the-earth-he-will-resume-control-taking/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/perhaps-when-we-remember-wars-we-should-take-off-our-clothes-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Because there are no fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-walker/because-there-are-no-fours/) [Antoine Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-walker/) > [I liked it. I liked her. And every time I saw her, she seemed more beautiful. She just seemed to glow. I'm not talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendelin-van-draanen/i-liked-it-i-liked-her-and-every-time-i-saw-her-she-seemed-more/) [Wendelin Van Draanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendelin-van-draanen/) > [The reason why people love T20 is the sixes and fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-dhoni/the-reason-why-people-love-t20-is-the-sixes-and-fours/) [MS Dhoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-dhoni/) > [“Not to go on all-Fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/not-to-go-on-all-fours-that-is-the-law-are-we-not-men/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [The whole idea of jazz came about was the interpretation of the human dialogue, trading fours. When someone's soloing and someone picks up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/the-whole-idea-of-jazz-came-about-was-the-interpretation-of-the-human/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) > [Freedom is dangerous. Possibly crawling on all fours might be safer than standing upright, but we like the view better up there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/freedom-is-dangerous-possibly-crawling-on-all-fours-might-be-safer/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [Somehow I had to turn the salted peanuts in the cigar box into petits fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/somehow-i-had-to-turn-the-salted-peanuts-in-the-cigar-box-into-petits/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/harry-was-speeding-toward-the-ground-when-the-crowd-saw-him-clap-his/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I salute to you Commander and I sneeze 'Cause I have Now an Allergy To your policies it seems Where have we gone wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-salute-to-you-commander-and-i-sneeze-cause-i-have-now-an-allergy-to/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Getting down on all fours and imitating a rhinoceros stops babies from crying. (Put an empty cigarette pack on your nose for a horn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/getting-down-on-all-fours-and-imitating-a-rhinoceros-stops-babies/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Time has an undertaking establishment on every block and drives his coffin nails faster than the steam riveters rivet or the stenographers type or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/time-has-an-undertaking-establishment-on-every-block-and-drives-his/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) [Browse all 44 Fours quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fours/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ninette de Valois" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes-and-fours/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fours" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes-and-fours/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/ninette-de-valois-21443_fours_nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes_1293142.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours.” — Ninette de Valois", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ninette de Valois", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nearly everything in life goes in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes-and-fours/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/nearly-everything-in-life-goes-in-threes-and-fours/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```