VIRTUE SIGNALING

Virtue Signaling is a term coined in 2015 by James Bartholomew, a British financial journalist. He used the phrase to describe public acts intended to align the signaler, at very little cost, with the righteous side of a timely cause. Or, blowing smoke to make one look good.

I have seen this in the business, commercial and religious world for a long time. When it really hit me was several years back while watching a football game on TV. The goal post had a net behind it with Allstate Insurance written on it. As soon as the ball was kicked a message was transposed on the net that said something like, ‘Since Allstate has been doing this we have given 158 trillion-gillion-zillon dollars to college scholarship funds.’ This is virtue signaling. Blowing our own horn about our virtues and usually about giving money…or saving dogs and cats…or saving somebody from something. (Many are, of course, important things)

Other things besides money are signaled. To stand up as a CEO or leader of some kind of a large corporation (or political leader) and say things like, ‘We are opposed to racism, sexism, injustice and unfairness of any kind…’ without any definition is virtue signaling. What we are for and why is rarely mentioned. Virtue signaling fools only fools. Loud horns hurt everyone’s ears.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Jesus