@aeon_co

> Why might people be motivated to send extreme signals of their commitment to a cause? The answer lies in the fact that, when we send virtue signals, many of the things we seek – such as friends and social status – are rival goods. The people you want to be friends with can have only so many friends, so you want to convince them that they should pick you. The social groups you belong to can have only so many leaders and, in order to gain influence, it helps to show that you are more committed to the group’s ideology than is the average member.