How to Weaponize Virtue

Shaming and guilt can be very dangerous, because it stems from weaponizing someone else’s virtue and using it against them. By reminding someone of their own shortcomings and faults with their virtues it undermines them. (Basically calling someone hypocritical for not being a virtuous person themselves)

• Use someone’s own ideals against them
• Emotionally put down opposing parties
• Degrade opposition to look better

By pretending or acting to be a kind or virtuous person, you leverage others trust for personal gain. If used on opposing parties, this can create a form of debt or obligation that can be taken advantage of later.

• Display false virtue
• Leverage trust
• Create debt or obligations

By setting a moral standard much higher than what can be achieved, you downgrade everyone who can’t meet that standard. From there, you can criticize or punish these shortcomings.

• Unrealistic expectations
• Set them up to fail
• Downgrade the masses rather than one individual at a time

By demonstrating that you’re more affluent in a particular moral understanding, you display superiority and make it difficult for people to argue with your moral actions because they are under the assumption that you stand on a higher echelon of understanding.

• Prevent criticism
• Demonstrate moral competency
• Gain a more favorable reputation