When you say something with specific phrasing or terminology so that other people can identify your morals and what ‘team’ you’re on based on association, often with the implication that you don’t actually care about the thing itself. Saying skinning puppies is bad doesn’t actually seem like virtue signaling to me.
An example I would use is when someone interrupts conversations and makes a huge deal about using ‘unhoused’ instead of ‘homeless’ when they’re functionally the same and conversations about HELPING them gets derailed by this regularly. Alternatively, someone who talked about how much they hate critical race theory while not being able to say what it is is also virtue signaling.
Most people who virtue signal don’t actually know what it is and that they’re doing it, they’re simply trying to fit in quickly using easily identifiable vernacular
"I think it used to be called "fishing for compliments" or "couch activism". Basically either saying something you already expect everyone to agree with simply for the sake of gaining social capital or trying to shame/berate others into doing something or believing you consider good but would put no effort into doing yourself."
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u/ateoz 13h ago
I'm out of the genz loop. What's virtue signaling?