I hear 1+1 = 3 in a course, but not Math - what is that?

Question

one plus one equals three... is it based on a sociology or psychology or philosophy?

wha?

Answer 1

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four uses 2+2=5....  In this context it was used to illustrate that if you repeat something long enough people will believe its true

The 1+1=3 reference  could  be related to synergy. Synergy is where the combination is greater than the sum of its parts...

Such as the interaction of individuals pooling talent, energy, resources toward a common goal.  The idea here is to illustrate that when pooling talent (weather individuals, groups or companies) the results can be far superior than just a mathematical sum of individual effort.

Based upon the latter I would relate 1+1=3 to:

Sociology - understanding groups and simply illustrating the results of the benefits of synergistic relationships.

Psychology - motivating individuals to seek assistance from others.

Philosophy -  An illustration of the wisdom of resource pooling

Answer 2

I've never heard that quote, but I have heard "One from three makes one."  

It was in the Babylon5 episode "Exogenesis," where Marcus and the doctor were captured by these guys, and they were being held in a jail cell and guarded by 3 bad guys.  They could break the lock and get out of the cell, but they didn't because they knew they couldn't fight their way past 3 villains (who were human, but possessed by aliens, thus giving them more strength).  One of the bad guys comes in to get the doctor and take him to perform a medical procedure on one of their other guys, so, as Marcus sits alone in his cell, he realizes what "1 from 3 is 1" means.  He tricks one of the 2 remaining guards into looking down the barrel of his fighting pike, which they took from him when they captured him, and tricks him into pressing the button which causes it to extend and hit the guy in the eye, knocking him out.  Then, because that only leaves one badguy to contend with, Marcus rushes out of the cell and subdues him.

True story!

Answer 3

According to our current Global Warming theories, 1+1=3

Answer 4

in the 1984 dystopia maybe.