“Political chaos is connected with the decay of language…” George Orwell

There are lots slurs hurled by both sides in the dirty trench warfare that is American politics. Most fall into various forms of an ad hominem, something that to me usually indicates a flailing debater who has exhausted their supply of facts and reason. There is one slur hurled from the right towards the left that moves beyond mere ad hominem and into the realm of meaningless noise – ‘Virtue Signaling.’

Its application would seem to indicate that the subject of the insult is engaging in empty symbolism, pronouncing through words, symbol, or meaningless action that they posses virtue on a given topic in an attempt to endear themselves to leaders of that topic or cause. The subtext of the insult seems to contain several parts;

1) That action or symbol is meaningless because the signaler is not actually doing anything.

2) The virtue is false, the position cannot be defended and the purpose of the signaling is to close ranks and protect the tribe.

3) That the signaler is a weak follower craving the affirmation of their tribe’s leader. It’s not a surprise that the people most likely to hurl this particular insult are also adherents to the discredited ‘Alpha and Beta Wolf’ hypothesis.

What is endlessly ironic is that the people uttering this slur are often signaling their own virtue.  Accusing opponents of ‘virtue signaling’ of course proclaims to one’s allies that one stands with conservative virtues, drawing a clear line of who is in the tribe, including the signaler.

Beyond the ironic the action is nearly always hypocritical. Only the virtues of the left can be subject to the insult of ‘virtue signaling.’ Renaming foodstuffs to thing like ‘Freedom Fries’, pinning miniature flags to your lapels, standing for anthems, or wearing politically aligned clothing such as NRA ball caps are all displays to the world the virtuous values of the conservative signaler. The actions themselves do nothing but exist only as a form of speech. (Don’t get me wrong speech is powerful. If it wasn’t people would expend so much energy telling you that you’re wrong when you express yourself.)

I find that this complaint of  ‘virtue signaling’ is very closely related to complaints about ‘politics’ in entertainment. I have rarely, if ever, heard anyone insist that a political philosophy that they agree with should be excised from some popular media they enjoy, it is that opposing viewpoint that they want excluded. Their own virtues they want to celebrate and it is only in the third person it becomes a fault that invites mocking.

Wear your virtues and values proudly.