aqueous

to be clear virtue signaling is bad when you only care about the signal and not the virtue. if someone advertised themself as a person who cares about protecting kittens from the torment nexus for the social benefit of appearing like a caring person, but doesn't actually do anything to protect kittens from the torment nexus or even actively assists in feeding kittens to the torment nexus, that is bad. but if a person says "I want to protect kittens from the torment nexus" and actually does do that then that's not bad. it's not "virtue signaling" if they actually practice that virtue and it's a good virtue to practice. why in the world would you get mad at people for being nice and being open about being nice.

ironically, if you think that the reason virtue signaling is bad is because people shouldn't be open or advertise their moral positions (whether that's "because that should just be assumed!" or whatever other reason), you are actually doing the exact same thing that makes virtue signaling harmful. your sense of ethics is focused on the aesthetics and performances of moral stances far more than their actual impact on the world, which makes your morality very shallow and prone to distraction. there is no cheat code to being a good person!

I cannot get this poem out of my head. It haunts me. Joyously, it haunts me. 

This poem format is my favorite thing and this is the first time I’ve ever seen it’s origin story. I love it. Every time.

THE SACRED TEXTS!

I forgot the context! It’s beautiful!