So what actually is 'Virtue Signalling?'

[king canary 7,580]

Thought I'd lob this hand grenade of a thread in to start the week.

It is one of the most overused phrases by those generally on the right (and on this forum) but I couldn't help but apply it when I saw this tweet.

 

This, to me, is a rare example of actual virtue signalling in the wild. The boss of a huge company currently doing its best to shaft both its workers and the general public pictured wearing an obviously specifically chosen hoodie designed to show he's one of the good guys- 'I can't be the villain guys, I'm anti homophobia, racism, transphobia' etc.

Signalling his virtue to that particular crowd in order to try and insulate himself from criticism of his actual actions.  

 

[Rock The Boat 1,326]

3 hours ago, king canary said:

Thought I'd lob this hand grenade of a thread in to start the week.

It is one of the most overused phrases by those generally on the right (and on this forum) but I couldn't help but apply it when I saw this tweet.

 

This, to me, is a rare example of actual virtue signalling in the wild. The boss of a huge company currently doing its best to shaft both its workers and the general public pictured wearing an obviously specifically chosen hoodie designed to show he's one of the good guys- 'I can't be the villain guys, I'm anti homophobia, racism, transphobia' etc.

Signalling his virtue to that particular crowd in order to try and insulate himself from criticism of his actual actions.  

 

I think you've answered your own question.

[Mello Yello 2,282]

...- .. .-. - ..- . / ... .. --. -. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. --.

The above is 'virtue signalling' written in morse code.

[Herman 9,717]

Would wearing a poppy class as virtue signalling??

[The Real Buh 3,423]

Human beings are competitive and the internet is ruined them.

In America, one guy puts up an American puts up a flag, his neighbour puts up a bigger one, the guy at the end of the road puts up one the size of a basketball court.

There are imaginary internet points and clout everywhere and always someone searching for a new angle. I’m the wokest, I’m the most left wing, I’m the most controversial, I care the most, I’m winning, can’t you see I’m winning give me points, give me my imaginary internet points.

it’s pathetic. I quit all that social media stuff ages ago because it ruins you as a person. I just want these people on feeding tubes and on the metaverse where they can live their perfect lives and leave everyone else alone.

[A Load of Squit 5,135]

Is it saying I'm better than you because I've made better choices like giving up social media and telling people their actions are pathetic?

[Yellow Fever 3,749]

8 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

Is it saying I'm better than you because I've made better choices like giving up social media and telling people their actions are pathetic?

Yes. I thought Buh gave himself as a very good example 🤔 

[The Real Buh 3,423]

10 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

Is it saying I'm better than you because I've made better choices like giving up social media and telling people their actions are pathetic?

I don’t throw my opinions into the void to try and get thousands of people on board. The pinkun has like 10 people on it before you start.the guys putting the bigger and bigger flags up won’t hurt anyone most likely but you exacerbate that using the internet and you end up with Qanon. The internet is rocket fuel for people with borderline personality disorder.

basing your life around imaginary internet points from strangers ruins your life.

[ricardo 7,349]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

Would wearing a poppy class as virtue signalling??

Not in a nudists colony.

[Mr Angry 1,547]

Poppy c o c k-although I guess you could wear it anywhere else too 🤣

[cambridgeshire canary 6,680]

Virtue Signalling is to try and sum it up the concept of trying to appear good, in a sort of 'holyier than thou' way while in reality you're just a big hypocrite and are only doing it for both attention and to try and look good to others for no reason other than to satisfy your ego.

 

An example could be someone being all 'Look I don't eat meat beacause I care about sentiant creatures and saving the planet' while they type that on a brand new Iphone while drinking a starbucks coffee made by a company not paying taxes and using child slaves.

[MooreMarriot 310]

Virtual signalling is when you do something I don't like.

If I do it , it's fine.

[Mello Yello 2,282]

19 hours ago, ricardo said:

Not in a nudists colony.

I knew a bloke who became a new member at a nudist colony....He said that he found the first few days the hardest.....

[king canary 7,580]

20 hours ago, Herman said:

Would wearing a poppy class as virtue signalling??

I see this argument a lot- personally, no I don't think it does. But equally I don't believe taking the knee is virtue signalling either. I believe many people wear their poppies out of sincerity as I do with people taking the knee.

**** like this strays into the realm of it though...

 

'Look at how much I care about soldiers I put a giant poppy on my hotel.'

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

20 hours ago, ricardo said:

Not in a nudists colony.

But it might cover your virtue

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

So why do they make some Valentines Cards the size of a snooker table and some as small as a bus ticket?

[TheGunnShow 5,933]

Virtue signalling = something good that a person doesn't agree with, for some odd and outlandish reason.

It's one of the most stupid phrases I can think of. Almost as bad as "friendly fire".

[Herman 9,717]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

I see this argument a lot- personally, no I don't think it does. But equally I don't believe taking the knee is virtue signalling either. I believe many people wear their poppies out of sincerity as I do with people taking the knee.

**** like this strays into the realm of it though...

 

'Look at how much I care about soldiers I put a giant poppy on my hotel.'

 

 

Yep, it was the second part I was aiming at. It veers into VS but with large dollops of one-upmanship and twattery.

[Van wink 2,994]

2 hours ago, Mello Yello said:

I knew a bloke who became a new member at a nudist colony....He said that he found the first few days the hardest.....

Well at least he had somewhere to hang his towel

[Mello Yello 2,282]

1 hour ago, Van wink said:

Well at least he had somewhere to hang his towel

 Only for a few days, until he'd acclimatised and lost his peg...He then he used another part of his body to hang his towel...

Not dissimilar to this..Although he did become the butt of many jokes..Push & Grip.. 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Mello Yello
.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

5 hours ago, Van wink said:

Well at least he had somewhere to hang his towel

Bragging again. I might manage a wet wipe.

[horsefly 4,287]

13 hours ago, Van wink said:

Well at least he had somewhere to hang his towel

And a "Covid friendly", hands-free way to open doors for the ladies. Or would that be "virtue signalling" too. We must be told.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Maybe Matt Le Tissier going on about not trusting main stream media and then quoting Fox News as if it’s gospel? Or is that irony?

[Badger 2,405]

"Virtue signalling" is a term of abuse to criticise someone who supports a cause that you disapprove of but don't want to admit it.

[A Load of Squit 5,135]

[littleyellowbirdie 2,514]

Virtue signalling is vocal advocation of an idea aimed more at looking like a good person to your desired audience than in any real interest in the idea itself. Most political statements by most celebrities seem to fit that description, although there are some with more substance: George Clooney, Shakira, for example.

It's definitely a valid concept though 

[horsefly 4,287]

The term "virtue signalling" is a pejorative term exclusively used as a form of abuse, aimed at denigrating a person raising moral concerns about some specific issue. Perhaps even more insidious, it is often used as a way of implying that anybody who happens to raise the same moral issue must be "virtue signalling". Undoubtedly there are hypocrites who cry foul about some issue when their own actual behaviour suggests no such concern. In which case one should use the more accurate term "hypocrite" and detail the reasons why they should be so described. Use of "virtue signalling" is at best a lazy and disingenuous way of disguising the fact that one simply disagrees with the moral stance taken by another individual.

[Barbe bleu 816]

Weirdly I think thst horsefly and LYB are both correct- its a valid concept but the use of the exact phrase has been weaponised and is almost exclusively expressed in an 'anti-woke' fashion.   The other side (and isn't it a pity that we must divide along tribal linea so readily and easily) will use the exact same concept but express it differently.

 

"Sh*ll UK's literature is absolutely full of images of wind turbines and lush fields but behind the carefully constructed image it is still a greedy petrochemical company that is hastening the end of civilization- its nothing but (greenwashing) (virtue signalling) by them"

 

"Here he is again on the pink un to lecture us all as self-appointed expert on every issue. He is only on here to prove to himself he has some status in life. I bet he doesn't actually care about the issues he lectures on and certainly won't do anything remotely practical to further the causes.  He's a massive (hypocrit) ( virtue signaller)"

[horsefly 4,287]

11 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

"Here he is again on the pink un to lecture us all as self-appointed expert on every issue. He is only on here to prove to himself he has some status in life. I bet he doesn't actually care about the issues he lectures on and certainly won't do anything remotely practical to further the causes.  He's a massive (hypocrit) ( virtue signaller)"

Thanks! Makes my point perfectly.

[Rock The Boat 1,326]

On 30/04/2022 at 21:52, littleyellowbirdie said:

Virtue signalling is vocal advocation of an idea aimed more at looking like a good person to your desired audience than in any real interest in the idea itself. Most political statements by most celebrities seem to fit that description, although there are some with more substance: George Clooney, Shakira, for example.

It's definitely a valid concept though 

Yes, this is what I would have said. Virtue Signalling is to indicate a stance on a given issue solely for the purpose of promoting one's alleged higher moral standing to others, regardless of whether or not one actually believes in the issue in question.

For example, knowing that cake is bad for you, one might virtue signal by saying, 'oh but you would never catch me eating cake'. Which may or may not be true but achieves the purpose of gaining moral brownie points.

Hypocrisy is slightly different. For example, in the cake situation if the person was to be discovered eating cake after claiming they would never eat cake then they would be a hypocrite.

Virtue signalling is a narcissistic trait.