What Are Virtue Signallers?

[Atheist]

And is there such a thing as Evil Signallers?

[andy-hughes]

Atheist - // LB; wouldn't you like to have the moral high ground? Or would you prefer the moral low ground? //

Taking the 'moral high ground' is to infer that the morality of the taker is higher than anyone else's.

In an ideal world the moral ground is level.

[retrocop]

Question Author
//Retro; did you use to address people as "Pal" when you were on the beat? //
Oh yes and many other titles. It depended how moronic the people were who I had dealings with. In the main I addressed a man or woman as Sir or Madam. It all depended if I thought they possessed half a brain cell between them. :-)

[pixie374]

That's just TTT, atheist :-). I think most people don't do that x

[Atheist]

Thank you AH; I do suspect nevertheless that these acronyms are carried over to here from less salubrious fora (or forums if you prefer). There is the smack of the "in-crowd" about them - 'we are speaking to our right-minded brethren and we don't care if you don't understand our references.' I'm probably getting paranoid about it.

[jackthehat]

Virtue Signallers are people who 'throw shade' on your own responses to a situation, especially if they feel that you have either attempted, or succeeded, in 'showing them up' somehow.

As for the other acronyms you mention and the childish mangling of perfectly servicable terms, that is because those indulging in such antics believe themselves to be either endlessly amusing, or to be 'nobody's fool' when it comes to national and international news agencies and their reports.

[Mozz71]

Unfortunately, these kind of acronyms have been adopted by folk who throw them out at you for such heinous crimes as calling out misogyny, supporting gay rights or not being racist. I always found the worst places for this tend to be either the comments section on YouTube or the Mail.online message boards.

[ladybirder]

Neither Atheist.

[Atheist]

AH; I think that we probably all think that we have the moral high ground. I don't think that it's level, or I'd concede that my morals were no different from Hitler's or Trump's or yours. I do have standards, as I'm sure everybody else here has. I don't cede the moral high ground to those who I believe are in the wrong. (Sorry Retro, but it's best to know where we stand.)

[andy-hughes]

Atheist - // AH; I think that we probably all think that we have the moral high ground. I don't think that it's level … //

Nor do I, which is why I didn't say that it was.

I said in an 'ideal world', it would be - but who lives there? None of us!!

[Atheist]

Retro; a couple of memories from the sixties.... I was 18 years old and feeling cooped up in my digs in Earls Court so I went to walk by the river - A bit like "Waterloo Sunset". It was night time and I was admiring reflected lights - red, green, blue - over the water.
A uniformed bobby appeared and said, "Evening, what are you doing here?" I said, "I'm looking at the reflections." He thought for a few moments, then said, "Yes, they're beautiful aren't they."
Another time I was walking by the river in daylight and a poor tramp approached and asked if I could spare him a bit. I gave him a few coppers, and immediately a young copper appeared and arrested him for begging. Both police officers were doing their job.

[retrocop]

//I said in an 'ideal world', it would be - but who lives there? None of us!!//

Well that would appear to be a Road to Damascus turn around revelation.
So many times I have read you writing,'in a civilised society we live in'. I have gagged on that suggestion and wondered why Stoke succeeded and London failed. Perhaps carpet bombing of my City may be a viable solution. :-)

[Atheist]

AH; I don't think that an ideal world is one where there are no morals. I know we don't live in an ideal world, but we can work to make it better. I'm surprised that Theland hasn't chipped in; I hope he's alright.

[Old_Geezer]

Who would want to signal that they were evil ? Except maybe Aleister Crowley and his like.

No, obviously virtual signallers are not like everyone else, although I don't know the circles you socialise in.

[Atheist]

Retro; pretend you're my brother and we are actually trying to become reconciled. We can drop any grumpiness or belligerence because deep down we love each other. We disagree, but we don't hate each other.

[andy-hughes]

retrocop - // //I said in an 'ideal world', it would be - but who lives there? None of us!!//

Well that would appear to be a Road to Damascus turn around revelation.
So many times I have read you writing,'in a civilised society we live in'. //

Actually, you haven't read that any times written by me, it's bad grammar, and I don't write like that.

What you have read many times would in ' .. in a civilised society … ' which is a concept that I am referring to, meaning that if we do live in a civilised society we do, or do not, do what I referring to, depending on the context in which I am using the phrase.

// I have gagged on that suggestion and wondered why Stoke succeeded and London failed. //

Obviously, I can't see you 'gagging' from here - had you been willing to point out any of your 'gagging' responses, I would have been happy to discuss them at the time - but you never did, so I never knew. Shame. never mind.

As to why you believe Stoke 'succeeded' and London 'failed' - I have no idea what you are talking about -feel free to expand if you wish.

// Perhaps carpet bombing of my City may be a viable solution. :-) //

Please see the comment above.

[Atheist]

OG; I'm not sure what "virtual signallers" are - perhaps ghosts in signal boxes (remember the old days of railways?)

[andy-hughes]

Atheist - // AH; I don't think that an ideal world is one where there are no morals. //

Nor do I, which is why I didn't say that either.

Perhaps if you read what I say, and respond to that, we can stop sidelining like this.

[andy-hughes]

retrocop - // Well that would appear to be a Road to Damascus turn around revelation. //

The 'Road To Damascus' situation was just a revelation, not a 'urn around' - you need to be sure of your metaphors before you chuck them willy-nilly into your posts.

[Togo]

//What Are Virtue Signallers?//

Snowflakes on an ego trip.

[andy-hughes]

*turn around.