Virtue signaling

[Leonhard]

What is it? I see some conservatives use this phrase. So far all I know is that it applies exclusively to liberals, and involves them saying things that espouse a virtue.

What is the definition of it, and why is it bad if someone engages in it?

[seanD]

"Look how much more righteous I am than you are." Pretty simple. It used to be the Pharisees on the street corners and market places. Now it's the liberal progressive movement, especially nauseating with celebrities.

[Leonhard]

"Look how much more righteous I am than you are." Pretty simple. It used to be the Pharisees on the street corners and market places. Now it's the liberal progressive movement, especially nauseating with celebrities.

So, what a Christian father talking about how good his marriage is going is virtue signaling?

[Ronson]

What is it? I see some conservatives use this phrase. So far all I know is that it applies exclusively to liberals, and involves them saying things that espouse a virtue.

What is the definition of it, and why is it bad if someone engages in it?

I don't know the definition, exactly, but I've seen it used in both directions; conservatives and liberals.

The fashion I've seen it used is (inferred) "You don't really have anything new to say. You are just 'signaling' to your tribe that you are aligned with them." Since it supposes to read a person's intent, I don't care for the term.

[Leonhard]

I don't know the definition, exactly, but I've seen it used in both directions; conservatives and liberals.

The fashion I've seen it used is (inferred) "You don't really have anything new to say. You are just 'signaling' to your tribe that you are aligned with them." Since it supposes to read a person's intent, I don't care for the term.

If that is all it is, then why is it bad? That’s very human. All groups do that all the time. You do that whenever you say anything your fellow “tribe” agrees with.

[Mountain Man]

What is it? I see some conservatives use this phrase. So far all I know is that it applies exclusively to liberals, and involves them saying things that espouse a virtue.

What is the definition of it, and why is it bad if someone engages in it?

It's basically any action where the primary purpose is to signal to others how virtuous you are. Expressions of "white guilt", or lamentations about one's "male privilege" would be textbook examples.

[NorrinRadd]

I think it also applies to, e.g., promoting "causes" on Facebook, while not really giving them any tangible support. I freely and ruefully admit doing this on occasion. It's easy to think, "Ok, I'll 'Share' this now, and donate later," and then never carry through.

[Cow Poke]

This is about me, isn't it?

[Ronson]

If that is all it is, then why is it bad? That’s very human. All groups do that all the time. You do that whenever you say anything your fellow “tribe” agrees with.

I don't know that it is "bad", just not very useful.

At the board I used to frequent, there were a couple of posters who would chime into a debate only to applaud their tribe, or say the same thing someone else was already saying (only slightly differently). They were accused of virtue signaling. I suspected they simply weren't paying attention to what their tribe was saying, and not looking for approval. I know I have done this before; I tend to zero in on the person I am arguing with and not paying close attention to what like-minded members were posting.

[Terraceth]

What is it? I see some conservatives use this phrase. So far all I know is that it applies exclusively to liberals, and involves them saying things that espouse a virtue.

What is the definition of it, and why is it bad if someone engages in it?

Here is the top-rated definition for it from Urban Dictionary:

"To take a conspicuous but essentially useless action ostensibly to support a good cause but actually to show off how much more moral you are than everybody else."

That seems a good way to put it.

[Cow Poke]

Here is the top-rated definition for it from Urban Dictionary:

"To take a conspicuous but essentially useless action ostensibly to support a good cause but actually to show off how much more moral you are than everybody else."

That seems a good way to put it.

That seems closer to the way it's commonly used today.

[TheWall]

It is sort of like a holier than thou situation.

[demi-conservative]

So, what a Christian father talking about how good his marriage is going is virtue signaling?

It's all about intent. If the primary intent is to demonstrate how good you are, it is virtue signalling. Calling it out counters that.

[seanD]

It's all about intent. If the primary intent is to demonstrate how good you are, it is virtue signalling. Calling it out counters that.

What's even worse is a whole lot of celebrities do it solely to leverage the prestige they get for more public status. More public status = more profits. Corporations do this crap too... like Gillette lol.

[demi-conservative]

What's even worse is a whole lot of celebrities do it solely to leverage the prestige they get for more public status. More public status = more profits. Corporations do this crap too... like Gillette lol.

It's perfectly intelligible from an honour/shame perspective. People want to claim honour, and critics like me call them out for trying to accrue unmerited honour. It's a textbook example.