When we wave a flag for a cause, we have parallel motivations. First, we are engaged in self-expression. We are proud of our values and we want to show them off. But secondly, we wish to make a positive contribution to society by raising awareness and support for the cause.

These are distinct motivations and should not be confused. Virtue signalling is not a pragmatic activity to promote a cause. We would not describe romantic courtship as a practical preliminary to reproduction: this omits the passion which drove the process in the first place. That passion is capable of fulfilment without the ostensible end point of reproduction. In the same way, we cannot say that the signaller is merely drawing attention to a cause: this omits their deep personal need for moral expression. That need is capable of fulfilment without the ostensible end point of public awareness.

The desire for personal expression goes to the very heart of virtue signalling. It is the reason why we signal. We may have pragmatic reasons for waving the flag, but that is a separate and parallel motivation. Virtue signalling is not activism, it is an end in itself.

_{Isamu Drayya, October 2022}

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