Virtue Signaling, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and The Battle for the Human Heart

Okay, I have to say this up front, some of you reading this have no idea what virtue-signaling is — and if so, you are blessed, indeed!

Seriously! It likely means you aren’t on social media or watching mainstream news on the regular — because if you are in those places, you are most definitely being exposed to virtue signaling and may not realize it.

Even if you don’t frequent those places, it should matter to you, because loved ones are likely regularly in those spaces and being exposed to a world of virtue-signaling, pressuring, guilt-mongering and the like — all in order to control people and manipulate them into thinking and behaving in a particular way.

First of all, what exactly is virtue-signaling?

Virtue-signaling: the sharing of one’s point of view on a social or political issue, often on social media, in order to garner praise or acknowledgment of one’s righteousness from others who share that point of view, or to passively rebuke those who do not

Now you know. 🙂

Often, those who “virtue signal” are trying to attach moral values to morally neutral or even morally problematic decisions. They try to appeal to emotion in the hopes that it might override a rational approach to the issues at hand.

The reason why it should matter to you is because people are being taught to emote rather than think when it comes to the hot button issues of our day. It teaches people to ignore the actual merits of an argument or issue and instead just allow our feelings to make our decisions.

To deny the importance of objectivity and clear-thinking as we approach important decisions is a terribly dangerous thing to teach somebody — but it is happening all over the place. It’s the exact opposite of how we should be approaching the challenges of our time.

When emotions run high, it’s usually best to step back, try to rationally understand what is going on and respond in a way that employs both reason and emotion.

It’s not that emotions are bad, it’s just that highly charged emotions have a way of throwing us into a fight or flight response that can make the better or best choice difficult to see in the moment.

It is also important to recognize that there are people trying to play on our emotions and push us to make choices that aren’t necessarily the right choice by eliminating rational thinking — often because they stand to benefit from shutting down rationality and amping up emotions.

I remember seeing a picture posted recently by a well-known “professional protestor” (who shall remain nameless) who was about to board his private jet to yet another protest.

It was completely absurd to see this man boarding a private jet that had been paid for by emotionally driven benefactors — did the benefactors never question whether this man who has made millions amping up emotions and organizes protests for a living have the best interest of those he is claiming to stand up for in mind?

Don’t get me started! I could go on and on with countless examples of organizations making millions whose chief beneficiaries are the people running the organization — not the people they claim to care about! Even worse, some have been involved in criminal activity, including human trafficking!

Decent people need to begin to push back when they see such contradictions and the conflict of interest in organizations that thrive off of chaos and turmoil.

They need to begin to point out the inconsistencies and address the elephant in the room: Is it possible that some very prominent organizations in our culture that claim to be standing up for the oppressed actually stand to benefit by keeping America divided and creating division rather than unity amongst decent men, women and children everywhere?

History repeats itself, and you will always find that there are people, organizations and political parties who don’t actually want to solve any problems in our country and our world — they actually want chaos and turmoil and violence, because it keeps them in power and it adds to their bank accounts.

Their goal isn’t any positive and lasting change. It’s either motivated by monetary gain or to destroy harmony between people and nations or both. They want chaos and turmoil and violence, because they stand to benefit from it or it fits into their ideologies that support chaos and violence.

Often, social media and news outlets are used to perpetuate this division and keep people emotionally charged so as to avoid decent conversations, debate and resolution. You will notice slogans and catch phrases that seem to come out of nowhere on social media, but begin to gain traction — and with it, coercion to use these hashtags grows, too.

People, let’s just settle it here. Ain’t no hashtag that’s going to save our culture or right the wrongs in it! Lasting change comes down to decent men and women loving the people around them and working for change in laws and policies — but even more importantly, real change in the human heart!

It is both strange and alarming to see “influencers” being yelled at, intimidated or downright coerced into using a hashtag that is trending.

It is even more concerning when celebrities and everyday people are attacked for posting an image that shows those who are supposed to be “enemies” according to the narrative being forced on us, actually embracing each other and showing love and forgiveness towards each other.

Isn’t that the hope for all of us, that we learn to love and forgive each other and create a culture that is life-giving?For some, apparently not.

It’s like the French Revolution all over again! “Liberty, Fraternity, Equality” — unless you cross us in any way, think differently, have wealth or property or are a faithful priest or religious or believe in the Triune God — then it’s off with your head!

It reminds me of the story of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Born in Russia and brainwashed by the communists as a child. He sincerely believed that socialism was just and that religion was the enemy of the people. Like most of his school friends, he became an atheist and joined the communist party.

But after seeing the atrocities, the injustices and intellectual inconsistencies that communism actually encouraged, he had a change of heart. He could no longer go with the flow. He had to speak up and he was imprisoned in the harsh gulag for 8 years and exiled for 3 more.

As he was dying of cancer, he realized that the truth was the exact opposite to what he had been taught as a child: God is Real and Love and Forgiveness are the most powerful forces in the world — not hatred or violence or revenge.

He converted and had a miraculous recovery and resolved to spend his life refuting the errors of atheism and communism.

He has a lot to teach us about understanding the real struggle to overcome oppression and injustice — and it comes down to a battle that occurs for the heart of every man, woman and child.

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn-

Dang, this is so good — and so, so true!

Let’s just be honest with ourselves, it’s so easy to point our finger at all the “bad” people doing bad things —but much more difficult to take the time to look at the ways WE HAVE FAILED to love.

Sadly, sometimes the greatest offenders of human rights and objectification happen to be the first to jump on the virtue signaling bandwagon pointing their fingers at what others have done, crafting meaningless speeches and slogans while offering no real change.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place to call people out and to “make some noise” as the kids like to say —but first, we need to be willing to do the uncomfortable and important work of taking a LOOK AT OUR OWN HEARTS and changing what needs to be changed.

So many of us are so quick to “cast the first stone”, while giving very little time to contemplating our own faults and failures.

The truth is we all have the potential for great good and great evil — all of us — it’s why we have confession! It’s also why focusing on pointing out everybody else’s flaws is often a distraction from making real change in our own hearts.

Real change in our culture won’t happen by pointing fingers or using the right virtue signaling hashtags — it will come in allowing God to change our hearts — often so selfish and cold — and in allowing God’s grace to pour into our soul and to make us the Saint the world most needs right now.

So, the next time you encounter that hashtag or that organization that seems to be intent upon chaos, violence and division, maybe it’s time to stand up like Solzhenitsyn, to call out the hypocrisy and to unite with people of good will of all races and nations and say, “Enough is enough. Take your venom elsewhere!” and then pray this simple prayer, “Lord make my heart more like Yours”.

Have a beautiful weekend!