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What I find funny about "virtue signalling" is that it's a pejorative only the right accuses the left of, and like the phrase "politically correct", it's hard t

What I find funny about "virtue signalling" is that it's a pejorative only the right accuses the left of, and like the phrase "politically correct", it's hard to take as any kind of insult. You think I'm virtuous and my politics are correct? Well thank you very much, very kind of you to say so.

lucozade 8y ago
> You think I'm virtuous They're saying that you're shouting about how virtuous you are. That's unrelated to how virtuous you actually are. Same goes for political correctness. Just because I say I'm awesome, it doesn't make it so.
s9w 8y ago
Virtue signalling is not about being virtuous. The other, much more important part, is the signalling. The impulse of companites/people/etc to brag about being virtous only to appear in a better light. A bit like vegeratians who often can't resist the temptation to tell the world that they're better.
- thecrash 8y ago
  Yes, at the core of the "virtue signalling" philosophy is the idea that nobody _actually_ holds virtuous values. There are only two kinds of people: those who are honest about being selfish jerks, and hypocrites who disguise their selfishness using "virtue signalling". It's reminiscent of the psychopath world-view, actually.
  - s9w 8y ago
    No, lucozade put it well: Being virtuous is unrelated to saying you are. That does not mean that saying you're virtuous means you are not. Simply that there is no causal connection.
  - eeZah7Ux 8y ago
    Spot on. The English language had plenty of words to express concepts as "bragging", "showing off", and so on. "virtue signalling" has been quickly turn into a dog whistle within the alt-right.
adamrezich 8y ago
There's a difference between being virtuous and signaling that one is virtuous. Neither is contingent upon the other. "Politically correct" used to be a highly ironic term, with the implication being there was "actually correct" and "politically correct." I've seen people recently advocate for the term "politically compliant," and I like that term much better.

lucozade 8y ago

> You think I'm virtuous They're saying that you're shouting about how virtuous you are. That's unrelated to how virtuous you actually are. Same goes for political correctness. Just because I say I'm awesome, it doesn't make it so.

s9w 8y ago

Virtue signalling is not about being virtuous. The other, much more important part, is the signalling. The impulse of companites/people/etc to brag about being virtous only to appear in a better light. A bit like vegeratians who often can't resist the temptation to tell the world that they're better.

thecrash 8y ago
Yes, at the core of the "virtue signalling" philosophy is the idea that nobody _actually_ holds virtuous values. There are only two kinds of people: those who are honest about being selfish jerks, and hypocrites who disguise their selfishness using "virtue signalling". It's reminiscent of the psychopath world-view, actually.
- s9w 8y ago
  No, lucozade put it well: Being virtuous is unrelated to saying you are. That does not mean that saying you're virtuous means you are not. Simply that there is no causal connection.
- eeZah7Ux 8y ago
  Spot on. The English language had plenty of words to express concepts as "bragging", "showing off", and so on. "virtue signalling" has been quickly turn into a dog whistle within the alt-right.

adamrezich 8y ago

There's a difference between being virtuous and signaling that one is virtuous. Neither is contingent upon the other. "Politically correct" used to be a highly ironic term, with the implication being there was "actually correct" and "politically correct." I've seen people recently advocate for the term "politically compliant," and I like that term much better.