Virtue Signaling: Examples and why it is wrong

[AgnosticBoy]

What is virtue signaling?
I define virtue signaling as doing something for show and not because you really believe and practice what you are publicly displaying and/or expressing.

Here's another explanation from a good article:

The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as:

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.

So, virtue signalling is an expression used to call out an individual, company, or organisation - suggesting they are only backing an idea to look good in the eyes of others. The term implies that they don’t truly believe in the cause they publicly support. They are acting out of bad faith, because they have an ulterior motive.

Source: The Conversation

I think there are signs that show that someone is virtue signaling. Some clear signs to look for is when a person public expression/display is selective and/or hypocritical and perhaps this especially happen towards issues that are trending/popular in the media (including social media).

Given the above explanation, I want to get some thoughts on virtue signaling. Is it always bad? Is the following virtue signaling:

Before an AFL game in June this year, meanwhile, Richmond Tigers and Collingwood Magpies players and umpires knelt down on one knee to show solidarity with Indigenous Australians. It was part of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement against racism.

Many fans interpreted the gesture as an act of support, unity, and respect. Yet some online critics rejected the display as virtue signalling, telling the teams to “stick to football instead of politics”.

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Edit: Moved here because this issue comes up mostly in politics.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Is it always bad?

I view virtue signaling as being bad or disingenuous because of the motivations behind it. By definition, the person is not really for the cause that they are publicly expressing support or disapproval of. However, one mistake that some might make is to label any public display or expression as being virtue signaling. I think it's completely consistent for someone to genuinely be for or against something and to also want to publicly express that simply because they want to bring attention to it, perhaps to get people to act on it more.

One scenario where I would have a problem with public display is when the person displaying that side lacks any reason and evidence to support their side or are just repeating popular talking points. That to me points to a sign of something being done for political reasons or to appeal to some popular sentiment.

Is the following virtue signaling:

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ALthough there was some debate on if this kneeling during sporting events was virtue signaling, but I don't think there's enough information to say that it is. It would be virtue signaling if perhaps if they did it only towards one instance of racism but not the other or if one of the players kneeling was also a racist towards another group. That might fall into 'selective outrage'. Otherwise, to paint just this action as virtue signaling runs the problem of labelling all public displays of approval/disapproval as being virtue signaling.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Here's a relevant example:

CNN- An active-duty member of the US Air Force who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on Sunday, has died, authorities said.

Aaron Bushnell, 25, said in a video of the incident obtained by CNN that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” and that his suffering was minimal compared to that of Palestinians as the humanitarian crisis persists in Gaza.

Source: CNN

Before I'd label this act as virtue signaling, I'd want to know if this person's standard is hypocritical or selective. For instance, I'd question why do it just for this issue and not for other issues, including violent acts committed by those on the Palestinian side? Is his position even reasonable? Is Israel committing genocide or is he for letting Hamas continue to exist? I think questioning someone's position is a good way to see what their position is based on and in the process it can expose if it's just political motivations or just virtue signaling, etc.