Virtue signaling

People say "virtue signaling" as if it were a bad thing.

We all signal our virtue, all the time.

Failure to do so is pathological: the realm of compulsive liars and heartless monsters.

Standing by your principles

You call it "virtue signaling".

I call it "standing by your principles."

What do you signal — your lack of virtue?

• Post @ Twitter (7 December 2023)

Commentary

My suspicion — I have no evidence, this is anecdotal — is that "virtue signalling" emerged as a conservative's supposed-to-be-snappy comeback to "dog whistling".

"Oh, I'm a 'dog whistler', am I? Well you're a virtue signalling social justice warrior, nyahh nyahh."

• Post @ Twitter (18 May 2023)

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles
• National virtue signalling

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Gnomon Chronicles (nonfiction)

External links

• Virtue signalling @ Wikipedia

Social media

• Post @ Twitter (13 April 2023)