AIBU to be annoyed by the term “virtue signaling“?

[Flyingfish2019]

Whenever people online or in IRL discuss how to reduce their ecological footprint other turn up and tell them that they are “virtue signaling“. I do not get this.

It becomes clearer and clearer that there is a big problem with climate change. If mankind continues to go on like we did in the past we will reach irreversible tipping points. Irreversible.

I think mankind needs to work together. We need to ensure the future of our children. I am s proud of people who are already doing their bit and even prouder of people who make big sacrifices for the cause... like a friend of mine who gave up his car. I couldn’t do this and it leaves me humbled.

I am no way perfect. My ecological footprint is far to big. So I am not in a position to judge anybody.

However I do not get why people who are trying to make a difference are blamed if virtue signaling... whatever that might be...

@Quineothebroch Yes, of course climate change is man made. 97% of all scientists agree on that.

Flyingfish2019
I know all about tipping points, and stable/unstable equilibria in chaotic systems. I'm fully onboard with the 'man made' climate change arguments. My beef is with the emphasis on the individual doing something about it. It's a misdirection by those that could make a difference.

For example, here's something from the Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2017/jul/17/neoliberalism-has-conned-us-into-fighting-climate-change-as-individuals

So proudly saying 'I've minimised my carbon footprint' is the very definition of virtue signalling - big yourself up, despite it making no practical difference at all.

I agree that companies could make a difference for example by selling less fossil fuels... but what is the difference between them selling less fossil fuels and us buying less fossil fuels?

The act of virtue-signalling is much more irritating than the term!

Virtue-signallers do seem to particularly hate it though, for obvious reasons.

There's a difference between virtue signalling and genuinely caring about a cause.

I really like the expression - it fits what people are doing perfectly. They rush around telling everyone on their social media how many plastic bottles they aren't buying, while driving their SUV to take their kids to school - half a mile away.

It’s virtue signalling because it does fuck all to prevent climate change, all it achieves is a boost in self esteem.

@Flyingfish2019 at one point 97% of scientists would have agreed that radioactive materials are perfectly safe for humans. It’s reasonable to say that we are most likely experiencing man made climate change. But saying climate change is man made as a blanket statement is scientifically wrong. Generally it isn’t, and even if studies would suggest that we are currently experiencing climate change and it is man made you can’t be sure 100% of the former until it’s over and we won’t be sure of the latter until we have made significant scientific advances. On the other hand saying that we need to cut emissions or that climate change will definitely occur at some point so we need to developers climate controlling tech is perfectly reasonable. Making incorrect statements which good scientists would not endorse undermines the message so please don’t.

Your example in your OP isn't virtue signalling (unless they also exhibit some other behaviour you haven't told us about). Second - what Christmas said ^^. Third - antibiotic resistance is a far bigger problem and one which could well literally threaten yours and your families' lives. Unlike climate change. (Not that I condone plastic use etc.)

@ChristmasSpirtsOnTheRocksPleas Okay, lets say that there is three percent chance or even ten percent chance that there is no man-made climate change. It is better to err on the site of caution than to risk our children’s life’s.

Would you board a plane if 97% of engineers would tell you that it would crash? And if only 50 percent of engineers told you? I personally wouldn’t even board a plane if only ten percent of engineers told me it would crash.

I learned that term here, and I agree it is a very useful term.

I disagree with people who define it as hypocrisy. I think a virtue signaller is someone who wants to be admired for having the right opinions. It's irrelevant whether they're hypocritical, I'm sure many aren't.

Being a virtue signaller does seem to be correlated with having left-wing views. Unsurprising given many left-wing voters do seem to have feeling of moral superiority. (I'm not saying that all left-wingers, not even all the ones that feel morally superior, are virtue signallers. You can be both of those things and still be modest.) I think some left-wingers get some of their self-esteem from having the "right" views, but they only become virtue signallers if they go out of their way to gain esteem from others by advertising their views.

@titchy Both climatechange and antibiotic resistance are problems. Why can I worry only about one or only about the other? There is a difference however: you aren’t blamed if virtue singnaling if you worry about antibiotic resistance.

@PettyContractor I do not see myself as a leftist but I think some Conservatives get their selfesteem from having the right political views too. That’s just human behaviour.

It’s virtue signalling because it does fuck all to prevent climate change, all it achieves is a boost in self esteem.

I agree that voluntary action by individuals on climate change is largely pointless, but that doesn't mean people who take voluntary action are necessarily virtue signallers. If they believe they are making a difference, then that may be their main reason for doing it. Any boost to self-esteem is incidental.

Just because an expression is sometimes used wrongly or inappropriately, that doesn't mean the expression is inherently bad.

YANBU to be annoyed when people wrongly accuse someone of virtue signalling in order to shut down their opinion. YABU if you think that the term can't validly be applied to lots of people.

Virtual signalling is the same as washing ones clean linen in public.

If it matters to you, fine, just get on and do it quietly. You don't need to take a selfie and parade it on Social Media.

My fav is people who put all over social media about their hybrid car that is saving the planet.

Yes.... that's the third one you have had in 6 years. I may be chugging about in my 10 year old petrol beetle but just how much of the earths resources are used to service your need for a new car every 2 years?

Virtue Signalling =

We're not sending Christmas cards this year because we're donating tuppence to charity

Virtue signalling to me is being seen to do something and wanting praise for it. It's virtue signalling if you're shouting about it and expecting everyone to tell you how simply marvellous you are for doing it. When actually 99% of your lifestyle suggests you don't give a hoot about this particular cause. You just want the fawning admiration.

Or it's when you suggest that what you're doing makes you better than everyone else. You see it a lot on AIBU.

OP: My 20+y.o. DS/DD is taking drugs, bringing their druggie mates round, stealing from everyone in the house, damaging our property. I've done everything I can and I can't take any more. AIBU to throw them out?

VS: Good God, that's your child. How could you even think about it? I could never do that to any child of mine. Go and give them a hug and tell them you love them immediately.

I often wonder if the VS would feel the same way if it actually was their DS/DD behaving that way.

Or maybe "I would never buy anything but locally grown, organic chicken. And if you don't, then I think you're no better than the shit on my shoe" when a poster has already explained that they're on a very low wage and they don't know how they're going to get to the end of the week.

And for me, virtue signalling exactly describes what those people are doing. I get that sometimes it's misused, when someone simply doesn't agree with another person's pov, but that's about the position of the responder. But when it's about the motivation of the person making the claims, bring it on.

@AJPTaylor

That's exactly it. When I was a young mum someone offered to give a talk to our group. She was approaching retirement in a huge detached house. We were all mums with 2-3 children of primary age and younger in small flats/mid terraces.
These were the best of her tips.

1. Don't boil the kettle until you need it. (Apparently she used to keep setting it to boil so when she wanted a cup of tea it didn't take too long)
2. Don't leave the conservatory door open all the time, because it lets heat escape.
3. Don't use a tumble drier. When one of the people from a flat asked what they should do, she told them "everyone has a spare room, just hang it to dry in there and close the door"
4. You should replace your washing machine/freezer every 5 years as they become less efficient over time.
5. Replace your windows with triple glazed windows.
6. Put a wind turbine in the garden. (apparently the only reason why they hadn't was because the dog wouldn't like it)

We did manage not to laugh during this.

Yanbu. It's better than signalling what a massive twat you are, surely, and yet somehow people seem to prefer that.

@EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard

Virtue signalling is e.g. turning up to a climate change conference or rally via a jet airliner. It’s lecturing others whilst not following the advice yourself. It’s going along with sound ideas but behaving differently.

That's wrong.

@TeacupDrama

virtue signalling simply means giving the appearance of or talking about being virtuous while in actual fact doing the opposite ie being hypocritical

Also wrong.

Virtue signalling is someone doing something good for humanity like giving money/a sandwich to a homeless person, then posting on instagram or twitter, blathering on about it, and implying (strongly) that they are a better person than those who DON'T do this, and acting virtuous and holier-than-thou.

Vegans are the worst! (Some of them!)

As @CendrillonSings said, the term 'virtue-signalling; is nowhere near as annoying as actual virtue signalling! Gets right on my tits it does!

OllyBJolly
The Christmas card one annoys me.

I've long thought they were a waste of time and resources so haven't done mass cards for years.

My charitable giving is between me and the charities I support and nobody needs to know about it.

Nobody had ever had an issue with me honestly saying "I don't so cards for people I see regularly as I think it's a waste of time, money and resources". If anything a couple of friends have said it's given them a good push to break the tradition and say "enough's enough" and joined the cause.

I do not send Christmas cards to people I regularly see for the very same reasons.

I dislike the phrase too. I’ve been accused of ‘virtue signalling’ on here for daring to float the revolutionary concept that I think some things are right and some things are wrong. Not even for expecting others to agree, but for the temerity of the notion itself.

“Virtue signalling- a term tht seeks to ridicule the ideas of altruism and generosity by suggesting that they are only ever undertaken in a search for admiration”