There's a difference between being virtuous and signaling that one is virtuous. Neither is contingent upon the other.

"Politically correct" used to be a highly ironic term, with the implication being there was "actually correct" and "politically correct." I've seen people recently advocate for the term "politically compliant," and I like that term much better.

> You think I'm virtuous

They're saying that you're shouting about how virtuous you are. That's unrelated to how virtuous you actually are. Same goes for political correctness.

Just because I say I'm awesome, it doesn't make it so.

Virtue signalling is not about being virtuous. The other, much more important part, is the signalling. The impulse of companites/people/etc to brag about being virtous only to appear in a better light. A bit like vegeratians who often can't resist the temptation to tell the world that they're better.

Yes, at the core of the "virtue signalling" philosophy is the idea that nobody _actually_ holds virtuous values. There are only two kinds of people: those who are honest about being selfish jerks, and hypocrites who disguise their selfishness using "virtue signalling".

It's reminiscent of the psychopath world-view, actually.

Spot on. The English language had plenty of words to express concepts as "bragging", "showing off", and so on.

"virtue signalling" has been quickly turn into a dog whistle within the alt-right.

No, lucozade put it well: Being virtuous is unrelated to saying you are. That does not mean that saying you're virtuous means you are not. Simply that there is no causal connection.