And of course, this model of the mythical trinity is still with us, for Freud bought into it as well. His trinity of psychic components is so obviously a variation on this theme that it's surprising that anyone ever thought it was science! It isn't science; or if it is, it's bad science. But it is good mythology, and can even serve as a critique of Western Tradition. And it's also great rhetoric. In fact, it was such good rhetoric that almost every educated person alive at the time that it was published bought into it hook, line, and sinker. Part of the reason for this is that it strikes a cord in us; we resonate to the tune of the Trinity. If not this Trinity, then some other Trinity. Like the Christian Trinity; or the trinity of Dorothy's friends in the Wizard Of Oz—the Scarecrow with his Brain, the Tinman with his Heart, and the Lion with his Courage; and even more recently, the Trinity of Star Trek—the leader Captain Kirk, the logical Mr. Spock, and the physician Bones.²⁸

Ultimately, we may deny the reality of the Trinity, but we certainly can't deny its popularity. And this is pertinent for the rhetor, for the Trinity is a veritable storehouse of valuable allusion, connotation, and innuendo. It is perhaps the oldest motif around, and we should take advantage of such commonplaces. Their stories are part of our cultural heritage, and hence they speak volumes to our readers on both a conscious and unconscious level. And there are many such commonplace topics to be found in our traditions. The much discussed dualities of philosophy—True/False and Good/Evil and Beauty/Ugly—beautifully illustrate a symploce of duality and the Trinity. Granted, it is too often the case that we are fooled into thinking that these common place topics are literally true, when in reality they are merely models—metaphors. But in a sense this is exactly why they are so important, rhetorically. If our desire is to persuade our audiences, there is no more facile way of doing so than to speak to people's most heartfelt conceptions, or even misconceptions. Just consider the use of such appeals in advertising, or in so many of the cartoons made for children. It's propaganda perhaps, and in some cases even unethical; but it exists, and it works. And the reason it works is that the model has struck a cord in our being.