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Virtue Signalling

(310 Posts)
GagaJo Tue 07-Mar-23 09:18:59

What type of virtue signalling really gets up your nose?

I'm starting because I'm irritable this morning!

People who have walls / huge bookshelves full of books but never read. A class signifier.

Nicolenet Thu 09-Mar-23 12:57:24

Stupid people judging others by invading their privacy and commenting on this gaganet.

IrishDancing Thu 09-Mar-23 12:47:51

Shinamae but maybe having fridge magnets is “common” and isn’t that virtue signalling as well?!

polly123 Thu 09-Mar-23 12:44:03

an attempt to show other people that you are a good person, for example by expressing opinions that will be acceptable to them, especially on social media
Virtue signalling is the popular modern habit of indicating that one has virtue merely by expressing disgust or favour for certain political ideas or cultural happenings

This exactly. And much more.....

orly Thu 09-Mar-23 12:43:46

Those like Gary Lineker

springishere Thu 09-Mar-23 12:42:26

People who boast about having been working class. All the "woke" people trying to change history and books. How can the books have the author's name on them when he didn't write it in that form? Students trying to change the names of colleges, but continuing to accept the advantages. All the talk of slavery in the past, and ignoring present day slavery. So-called "Pride" demonstrations. Why do we need to know? What happened to common sense?

Saggi Thu 09-Mar-23 12:37:20

I don’t even know what class signalling or virtue signalling is …..but I have no class or …I must be reading the wrong books!

ANMI52 Thu 09-Mar-23 12:35:03

I’ve never heard the term ‘virtue signalling’. I read a fair bit, nothing particularly intellectual, and would love to have a wall full of books. Just a matter of taste?

Saggi Thu 09-Mar-23 12:34:06

Hear hear easybee…. I have a wall full of books ….80% read…and re-read. The other 20% waiting in queue to be read!
You’re an inverted snob!

SachaMac Thu 09-Mar-23 12:29:08

People are now buying old books with dust covers removed in certain colours to match their decor so they can have a nice little pile of red, green, brown or whatever on their shelves, they will probably never read them, they are just a decor prop but they look nice in the right setting. I have lots of books, a few lovely old ones but most are miss matched paperbacks. I do read them eventually.

I find wine snobs irritating, people who when given a glass of wine at a party pick up the bottle, read the label and then turn their nose up. Just accept what’s on offer with good grace or take your own.

Shinamae Thu 09-Mar-23 12:23:12

IrishDancing

Oh and I’ve got lots of fridge magnets, even a few from places I’ve never been to - is that virtue signalling as well? wink

Me too, I’ll join you in virtue signalling fridge magnets. 🤗

IrishDancing Thu 09-Mar-23 12:18:46

Oh and I’ve got lots of fridge magnets, even a few from places I’ve never been to - is that virtue signalling as well? wink

TanaMa Thu 09-Mar-23 12:15:51

The couple who know everyone and everything who label me and put me in a box they think suits my political and every other aspect of my life. Most of which is entirely wrong (I don't even discuss politics!!). Also recommending the most obscure book titles I must read!! I suffer in silence as overall they are caring people!

IrishDancing Thu 09-Mar-23 12:09:27

How can having a wall of books (I have and then some) be virtue signalling?! I’m better than you because I have books (some very tatty)??!! I hang on to a lot of books because the older I can the less likely I am to remember what they’re about! grin

winifred01 Thu 09-Mar-23 11:58:47

Who was it who said ' Books do furnish a room'?

Oreo Thu 09-Mar-23 11:55:17

Cossy

Newdawn

People who refer to the Daily Fail..they are too good to read the Daily Mail. I don't read it but don't assume people who do are inferior in some way

Some of us who refer to this paper as the “Daily Fail” do so as it often “fails” to tell the full story or two sides of a take and is pretty right wing - my dear departed mother read it avidly as both my husband ! I don’t think I’m “better” than them, I just consider them a little misguided

Newdawn I am with you on this and this post from Cossy only reinforces it.😂

undines Thu 09-Mar-23 11:54:41

I have LOADS of books, to the point where we call one of our rooms 'the library' And I have more upstairs. I'm an author and I have always loved books. I have certainly never thought of it as 'virtue signalling', in fact I feel a bit guilty because I find it so hard to get rid of a book. But I do think it's a shame when we have to be criticised, when we show something nice about ourselves, for 'virtue signalling.' I love books and come to think of it, yes, I think it's quite a nice thing about me. If someone wants to criticise me for that it's up to them.

Doodledog Thu 09-Mar-23 11:45:14

Zoejory

Callistemon21

As someone who has been accused of "virtue signalling" on gransnet for lighting a blooming candle for people who lost lives on the special day for doing so ....

I got accused of virtue signalling years ago when I said I was knitting blankets for Syrian refugees - all I was trying to do was raise awareness in case other knitters wanted to do the same.

Once bitten twice shy.

That person obviously didn't understand the term virtue signalling, Callistemon! .

I don't think a lot of people understand it either.

Agreed, Zoejory. Virtue signalling is just that - signalling to others that you are virtuous. The most egregious example I've come across was on my local FB page when a woman bought a sandwich for a street sleeper and posted a photo of herself giving it to him 😂. It wasn't so funny when it turned out that someone was 'after him' and he was beaten up as he was recognised from her photo, but the whole 'look at me, I am being kind' thing is VS.

Give to charity, advertise how a charity helps people (eg giving them knitted blankets), whatever - shout it from the rooftops - but it should be about the benefit of the charity, not about you, or about 'gesture' politics that don't benefit anyone but makes you look good by showing toothless support. Basically anything that only happens when others can see it and has no impact on the people it is meant to benefit is VS.

I'm not sure of the books on display thing is VS or showing off (particularly as I can't begin to work out how anyone would know whether they'd been read or not), but on the same lines is a pet hate of mine, which is when people insist on telling you that they don't watch what they see as 'inferior' TV, and deny knowing anything about it, even when the programme has been in the news, or is part of popular culture. It reminds me of something I saw on Ravelry (a knitting website) a while ago when someone asked if a yarn was 'wine coloured', and the reply was 'I'm not a drinker, so I don't know' 🙄. I mean, you don't have to be an alcoholic to know what colour wine is, just as you can know 'petrol blue' when you see it without being a driver, or that the King was once in Coronation Street without being either a rabid royalist or a couch potato.

Cossy Thu 09-Mar-23 11:43:36

Newdawn

People who refer to the Daily Fail..they are too good to read the Daily Mail. I don't read it but don't assume people who do are inferior in some way

Some of us who refer to this paper as the “Daily Fail” do so as it often “fails” to tell the full story or two sides of a take and is pretty right wing - my dear departed mother read it avidly as both my husband ! I don’t think I’m “better” than them, I just consider them a little misguided

Cossy Thu 09-Mar-23 11:41:10

Goodness this whole bookshelf stuff has really started something !! I read a lot, lots of different types of books, I like to re-read some - I have lots of books, all on shelves as this is sensible way of storing them - I’ve never heard of such tosh in my life - books deserve to be read and can look great on shelves …. So what ??

Newdawn Thu 09-Mar-23 11:40:23

People who refer to the Daily Fail..they are too good to read the Daily Mail. I don't read it but don't assume people who do are inferior in some way

LRavenscroft Thu 09-Mar-23 11:38:42

tattygran14

My list is.. In- your -face Christians, non drinkers, and ex teachers who have to 'Explain'

Oh, dear. I don't think I will be getting an invite to your Christmas Party then. Only joking but I could be like that potentially. Oops.

Amalegra Thu 09-Mar-23 11:34:39

Interesting thread! My particular dislike is ‘humble bragging’ which takes many forms. From the usual ‘we are so poor’ to ‘I don’t really understand because I am so stupid’ and ‘happening to mention’ how often they attend church (and how ‘wonderful’ everyone says they are (‘little old me, I’m not, really’!). Hate this form of self aggrandisement! As regards books; I have been a bookworm since childhood and despite occasional ‘culls’, I do have bookshelves in every room (even the bedrooms). Unfortunately I have a wide variety of interests! I try to ‘curate’ them by subject matter (not colour or impressive authors/topic) just so I can find what I want easily. They look a little random but are my joy! And yes, I’ve read them all, some many times. All except the one I’ve just started of course!

Callistemon21 Thu 09-Mar-23 11:29:52

Soozikinzi

My DH reads at least a book a week probably more usually crime John Grisham type stuff just from charity shops . If he kept every book we wouldn't fit in the House! I think true avid readers can't actually keep their books !

Pass on paperbacks to friends or charity, keep good hardbacks and reference books.

tattygran14 Thu 09-Mar-23 11:28:34

My list is.. In- your -face Christians, non drinkers, and ex teachers who have to 'Explain'

gigi05 Thu 09-Mar-23 11:27:37

Couldn’t agree more!