On the horns of a trilemma

Not so long ago, I was asserting to a friend (don't remember who, but they clearly hadn't been reading enough SF!) that our tendency to see choices as binary oppositions, either / or, is related to the fact that we are symmetrical(ish) bipeds. If we were tripods, we might see our options as tending towards one or two of the points of a triangle. And if the triangles had a god, he would have three sides...

It's a pretty idea; and it's a pleasure to see it being kicked about all over the pitch, over on Kottke.org. Jason Kottke starts here:

"I've always liked the old designer's adage of 'good, fast, or cheap, pick two'. That is, a project can be completed quickly, it can be done cheap, and it can be done well, but you need to choose which two of those you want. If you want a good project done quickly, it's gonna be expensive. Fast and cheap? It's gonna suck."

and goes on to quote a whole list of "pick two" triads:

Elegant, documented, on time.
Privacy, accuracy, security.
Have fun, do good, stay out of trouble.
Study, socialize, sleep.
Diverse, free, equal.
Fast, efficient, useful.
Cheap, healthy, tasty.
Secure, usable, affordable.
Short, memorable, unique.
Cheap, light, strong.

before asking, effectively, does the popularity of the "perm any two of three" formula have any significance?

( The answer )