When Virtue Signaling Replaces Character
15th August 2026
It has never been easier to feel virtuous without making much of an effort.
Put pronouns in an email signature, repost the slogan of the day, or join the online denunciation of someone who used the wrong word. In many circles, such gestures are expected. A person can take part with little at stake and still come away feeling that he has done something morally worthwhile.
The trouble begins when support for fashionable causes is treated as proof of good character.