I do just love it when folks dis voting or action or anything like that. Oh don't do stuff because its not going to work or your just trying to make yourself feel good. eff off bootlickers and everyone do whatever you feel you need to (do try to always vote with some judiciousness and conscientiousness).
The term has since been wrongfully used (by mostly anti-social-justice folks) to criticize anything that is in any way "showy", even things like protests (which aren't performative but demanding attention) or direct action have been called virtue signaling as a way of denigrating the righteous indignation of people stepping up for a good cause.
It's an easy way for assholes to criticize anything that's stepping up for a good cause as soon as it draws media attention.
It was nothing more, than a silencing tactic.
They say people should only care for themselves, and not care about others, except when they do it with their religious and other bullshit, then it's "helping", "bringing common sense", or whatever they use to justify their morally abhorrent ideologies.
They essentially betting on their opposition taking the "moral high ground" and adjusting their ways, while they themselves are not uphold by the very same rules. That's part of where the whole "cuck" thing came from too.
I agree