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I basically have yet to see a use case of the phrase "virtue signalling" out in the wild that wasn't just someone mad that someone else has principles

Claire, The Ultimate Worrier
Quiet public

I think the reverse of it, "vice signalling" (basically being a dick about something just to show how much you don't care about it) is a lot more useful phrase

ikanreed
Quiet public

@waitworry Before the right got ahold of it and used it to describe "not being a huge piece of shit with no redeeming qualities" it had a similar meaning to "Greenwashing" in that it referred to advertisements that pretended a corporation was doing something good to make more money.

That usage was so short lived that I don't miss it, but I do remember it.

Claire, The Ultimate Worrier
Quiet public

@ikanreed yeah that's basically why i specified "in the wild" because I know there are supposed to be legitimate uses of the term but haven't seen one actually happen yet lol

Cat!
Quiet public

@waitworry It's very similar to the charge of "white knighting" that was thrown about ten years ago. In fact it could be said to be a generalisation of that.

And the same objection to it applies: If I want things to be better for other people, and things get better for other people, at that point it does not matter what my motivation was. It would only matter if it were about me, which it isn't.

And to the kind of people who use the term "virtue signalling" in that way, not making something all about yourself is an alien concept.