[seoaeu]

> a desire to gain/maintain status or power

What you're describing is basically a textbook definition of 'politics'. I find it funny that you call this virtue signalling when that term was literally invented to describe the opposite: halfhearted political activism that isn't trying to build power.

[fighterpilot]

Well, the word "politics" has various connotations in general usage, and many of them don't describe the phenomenon I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is a cynical attempt at elevating one's zero-sum standing in a social group by showing conspicuous adherence to the group's purported moral orthodoxy.

This[1] is good reading on the phenomenon.

[1] https://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ok-...