Virtue Signalling

[Crispsnatcher]

I admit I only ever heard this term on MN in the past couple of years. Never really heard of it before then.

With the BLM going people, some people have been accused of virtue Signalling. I've heard it applied to other things/causes though.

I admit I'm pretty old school, and what I thought was caring about others and generally being a decent person now has a new name? What is the difference? I don't really know what my AIBU is but would like to understand when does it stop being about caring and start becoming about Virtue Signalling?

when does it stop being about caring and start becoming about Virtue Signalling?

When you start telling people what caring things you do.

Bump

Agree with titchy

It's not a random act of kindness if you insist on videoing it to put on social media for the purpose of getting attention and praise

How you treat people on a day to day basis is far more reflective of your actual values than what you share on social media

My reading of it is that virtue signalling now is mostly about posting things online that make yourself look good. I’m sure when I was younger things like giving to charity etc were encouraged to be anonymous, generous acts rather than something you told everyone you were doing. Whereas now it’s very acceptable to post on fb when you’ve donated to a cause. Similarly voting used to be a private matter but now everyone puts a badge on their profile picture declaring they voted labour just to make sure you know how liberal and caring they are.

With more recent events I think for example I see lots of white middle class women posting on Facebook about how everyone needs to be re-educated about how racist they are, posting lists of books that they’re reading to learn and charities that they are supporting. I have no problem with them trying to educate themselves or supporting black people but why is there any need to post it publicly rather than just quietly get on and do those things yourself?

Virtue signalling also often has an aspect of making a big show of saying that you are doing the right/good/caring thing, but then not backing it up in your wider actions. Eg the Thursday clapping whilst practically rubbing up against your neighbours.

One of the worst cases I've e seen from someone I actually know was when they went to take 'goody bags' to the homeless one winter. They made a big statement on social media about who they'd chosen to receive said bags.

Even worse they had a selfie done handing the bags over and telling them they thought the recipient was chosen by them as deserving.

I mean they probably did it with a kind heart and yes they bought all the contents with their own money but it was just so nauseating to read it and see the pictures.

Iwas less than impressed with their behaviour and told them so too.

I think it is when you move from acts of personal kindness and thought to acts of public ‘kindness’ to your own benefit.

The narcissistic way of proving how caring you are. Mainly for SM likes and shares.
I've seen so much of it the past week, it's gross.

But I thought the whole point of discussion re BLM is that it’s not enough to be silent, and that you have a responsibility to make a statement and be actively anti rascist?

@elsiebob the BLM stuff might not be the best example of virtue signalling I guess. I would imaging there is quite a lot of virtue signalling going on (posting black squares and links etc when you’re not actually reading them or educating yourself) but then also people trying to educate people in the spirit of the movement

Ah sorry titchy, missed your post. In what way?

In the current case of the BLM movement, I've heard people refer to supporters of it as virtue Signalling. So people have to stay quiet about it, is that what you mean? Erm, climate change is another one. Many of my friends are vocally against climate change, something they have always felt passionately about. Should they not talk about it? Genuinely don't understand at what point it stops being about vocally caring about something

Sorry I'm not getting my messages through properly. Will read and reply

I hate the phrase so much! It's over used on here

In re to BLM there are positive ways of instigating change (promoting POC businesses, books, educational resources for people to look over), and then there are the virtue signallers who is all aspects of their lives are selfish wankers but who think posting a black square changes the world - yes I am thinking of specific people I know lol.

I don't think it means you need to be quiet. But in the age of social media, a LOT of people put things on SM which announces their causes, but the reality is that they have no such cause.

A very good example was after Caroline Flack took her own life, and many people posted "Be Kind" etc. But a lot of those people were actually the type to be involved in trolling.

So, in my opinion, if you genuinely believe something/have a cause, shout it from the rooftops. But a lot of people shout from the rooftops and have no such cause or care.

When you tell someone how wonderful you are with your beliefs and action.... self publicity rather than just do it...

Ah now I understand. People who do good deeds publicly for attention. I think someone up thread mentioned BLM might not be the best thing because the point is to raise awareness of how bad the situation is. But I have seen people refer to it namely on facebook as virtue signalling.

Now it begs the question, if people post sexist or racists things on SM, so the opposite of being virtuous, is there a similar term for that?

Well an example for climate change might be that they go on about how important an issue it is, but don't make changes to their own lifestyles.

Often people will blame "the system" for environmental issues, and say individuals can't make a difference. But individuals make up the system. They create demand for unsustainable products and services. Even when they buy something sustainable, they consume more than they need/is fair They pay someone who profits from those things and produces more of them. Etc.

So someone who posts about recycling, or how great that David Attenborough programme was (who himself took long enough to say anything about it), but isn't vegan, and drives or flies, obviously doesn't have the courage of their convictions, and just wants people to think they're a great person without having to do the things that actually create change, or make what they perceive as a sacrifice.

There are also lots of people who change energy supplier to a supposedly sustainable one, but don't look into it any further than the marketing on the website. And then they announce it on social media, partly for recognition, and partly to share their rewards code (more consumption...).

Actually they're all energy resellers (Bulb, Octopus etc), and it makes no difference to how much green energy is produced if you use them; it just makes people feel like they've done something good. If they wanted to actually increase green energy infrastructure, they'd go with Ecotricity (or Good Energy, but I think the former is preferable for various reasons).

When the village gossip, untrustworthy, trouble making, pooh peddler, jumps on the bandwagon of a cause without previously having shown any interest, and has personality traits that don't reflect those of someone who might support that cause, purely for the social credit it gains them.

I liked what the American comedian Patton Oswalt said about this:

Y’know why you yell “virtue signaling” when you see anyone be an ally to the oppressed or abused or “othered”? ‘Cuz you can’t imagine an action not linked to a selfish motive. You can’t accept someone wanting a better world without it directly benefiting them. It’s beyond you.

How you treat people on a day to day basis is far more reflective of your actual values than what you share on social media

This.

Examples:

Things like the black square on social media was virtue signalling for me.

Retweeting a post by a black colleague to amplify their voice and contribution is not virtue signalling and may actually be useful as someone else might see their post and approach them about work. The black square is pointless and only there to make sure people know I'm making the point.

Clapping for the NHS is virtue signalling, following the lockdown rules is more helpful to them.

Slightly off-topic, but on the energy side I was told by Jen Gale, who wrote the book Sustainable-ish, that the single thing you can do that makes the most impact from an eco-friendly point of view is buying your electricity on a green tariff. I realise all the electricity is the same, but if you buy green energy the energy you use is replaced by reusable sources on the grid.

Rosie - in the case of my vocally environmentally friendly friends, I dont know about energy suppliers and which they use but they certainly don't mention things like that or would never broadcast them on SM. However they all have one thing in common (these are different groups of friends who don't know each other). They either walk, ride a bike or use public transport to get about. They think I consciously about the clothes they wear, they don't brag about this but it is reflected in where they shop. They are keen gardeners and veg growers. One is a scientist and is very invested in renewable energy, despite this not being her main subject. They don't broadcast it on SM, I only know through that they speak to me personally about.

Like others have said it's the hypocrisy / contradiction between what they pretend to care about vs their actions and behaviours.
I've actually reassessed friendships based on this.

I think the assumption is that if you make a public display you aren't also doing things privately. I probably look like a virtual signaller, I don't give a crap tbh if some people choose to perceive me that way. It doesn't mean I am not also doing what I should do in private. I like to do whatever is within my power. Publicly, privately, externally, internally. I don't always get it right, but I always do what I can. And yeah, there are fights I forget to fight until they are bought to my attention. Turning on Instagram and seeing black squares did that for me. I couldn't ignore the news and fall down an aesthetically pleasing rabbit hole. Call me shallow, call me a virtual signaller, I'm not doing it for you, am I?