In what you say of another, apply the test of kindness, necessity and truth, and let nothing pass your lips without a 2/3 majority.

Armbruster frames everyday speech—especially speech about other people—as an ethical act that should be filtered through three classic moral criteria: kindness, necessity, and truth. The “2/3 majority” metaphor turns that triad into a practical decision rule: if what you’re about to say doesn’t satisfy at least two of the three tests, you should refrain. This implicitly challenges common habits like repeating accurate but unkind gossip (truth without kindness or necessity) or offering kind but misleading reassurance (kindness without truth). The line’s significance lies in its memorable, almost procedural guidance: it translates abstract virtues into a quick, usable standard for restraint, discretion, and responsible communication.