Virtue Signaling: When People Try to Show Their Goodness

Individuals can engage in virtue signaling, as can groups, companies, or governments.

Someone might even engage in virtue signaling in private, by saying things that are meant to convince themselves of their own good character.

• The main goal of their statements or actions is to signal their good moral values, especially to others.
• They’re being disingenuous in their actions, and not acting in accordance with their actual values.
• Their actions will have little to no meaningful impact on the state of things.
• They’re using their statements or behavior as justification to feel morally superior to others.

• Make sure that a person is really virtue signaling.
• Clearly outline the issues tied with this kind of behavior.
• Avoid using the concept of virtue signaling as a trivial way to dismiss others without consideration.
• Be aware of the fact that just because someone is doing something that demonstrates their good moral values doesn’t mean that they’re virtue signaling.

It means speaking or acting in a way that’s meant to demonstrate one’s allegedly negative moral values.

If a person widely states how much they don’t care about a specific societal issue, that person can generally be said to be vice signaling.

It means supporting a cause in a way that requires little action or commitment, and which therefore has little impact.

Sharing a post about a social issue is a form of slacktivism, if that’s the only thing that the person does in support of that cause.