Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by gopher_space 1663 days ago
Virtue signaling is an interesting phenomenon we all participate in daily. Try not to dismiss terms just because they're misused by mouth-breathers.
1 comments

Find me another term for the people that preach they agree with me, but still practice do-nothing-effectual austerity, and I'll use it.
What's wrong with hypocrite? Why misuse a term of art?
I actually don't think they are hypocrites, at least not necessary. I think these things cause the problems:

1. Do not know how other countries work. A lot of stuff seems far fetched until you learn about about the places where it already happens.

2. Don't know much history so essentialize the last 50 years as the way it always ways (similar to 1)

3. Believe in "monotonically of virtue": i.e. that various compromises and half-measures at least deliver half the value.

4. Lack a sense of a urgency, or have faith that "at the end of the day, American institutions are good will work it out".

5. Might be more "idealist than materialist".