Virtue signalling

point well made granjura

oh ther massive irony of it all - if that article is not pure 'virtue signalling' I don't know what is!

Where does he come into it, dj?

So what about Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall?

I love this paragraph!

Mild forms of virtue bidding wars have entered daily life. People now sometimes say to each other, ‘Have a great evening!’ These people are effortlessly showing themselves more generous and warm-hearted than those who only wish us a ‘good’ evening. I recently got an email wishing me a ‘fantastic’ evening. What next? ‘Ecstatic’? ‘Orgasmic’?

This is the definition I'm working on new.spectator.co.uk/2015/04/hating-the-daily-mail-is-a-substitute-for-doing-good/

Yes I watched it too, and thought he was absolutely right!

I watched James Bartholomew being interviewed on the Daily Politics prog. 4/11/15. I don't know how to give links but watch it if you are interested, not just the U Tube clip but his interview with Andrew Neil as well.

I actually think he makes an interesting point and I think the term he created 'Virtue Signalling' is simple to understand and applies to many situations, people I listen to and especially the world of media/PR/ politics/social media.

He is on the money for me and I don't find him at all presumptuous, merely stating an opinion and it's one I agree with.

No. It has to be done in a certain smug and self-satisfied manner.

So most of us are guilty ?

I don't think it's necessarily criticising anyone else, Lilygran, neither does it need to be anything to do with PC-ness.

It's just sending out messages such as 'I do good deeds', 'I have compassion' and 'see how selfless I am'...

Expressing disgust and revulsion at atrocities is not virtue signalling.

smugupmanship
That describes me because I won't read The Sun

And I repeated a bit of gossip this morning which I have now found is untrue, so I will have to retract that bit of gossip this evening
Not feeling very virtuous atm

I don't think expressing concern over something bad that's happened is virtue signalling, jings. I think it's more criticising other people for their 'failings', mainly in political correctness.

Haven't read the article BUT this sort of generalisation concerns me if people take it seriously. In another thread I wrote about something I read in The Telegraph - what does that say about me? I 'buy' The Times whenever I go to Waitrose and wonder what anyone who saw (and it's not just me who looks at other people's shopping is it?) would think? Fact is, I like the sudoku in The Times and get it free at Waitrose, and I read all the papers online so The Telegraph is just one of several I browse. I really hate that people think they know about me because of where I shop or by what I read...

Good point jings. Though I find it hard to believe in the sincerity of many of the posts, where one after the other posts a picture of a poppy and comment 'Lest we Forget'.
I think social media makes us all lazy - how much easier it is to say 'Happy Birthday' to someone than to go out, buy a card, write it, buy a stamp and post it.
But I take your point - not fair to judge everyone, many of whom are being utterly sincere in wanting to express their feelings.

So, how do you express revulsion at something atrocious happening somewhere in the world, without committing "virtuous signalling"?

I like the phrase: 'I never repeat gossip, so listen carefully the first time.'

There's a heck of lot of virtue signalling going on on Facebook today

No!! Feel free!!!

I love a good bit of gossip!
Feeling free to pm some!

MOnica There are many virtuous posters on GN especially on the politics thread.

And "I really cannot stand intolerance. I'd shoot all those who can't live and let live!""

Exactly. Another example is 'I hate/despise gossip', at one stroke making others feel guilty for indulging in it, listening to it or heaven forbid secretly enjoying it, while advertising self-righteous holier-than-thou-ness...

I think that those who virtue signal seem to do it on an almost daily, or daily basis, so they are easy to spot. It doesnt matter whether they are left wing, right wing or whatever and wouldnt just do it in relation to politics anyway.