I’m not exactly sure how the two differ...it seems like two definitions of “signalling” are getting conflated.
“Virtue-signalling” is generally understood to be a conscious effort to draw the attention of others to one’s own “virtuous” behavior, which may be totally disconnected from any desire to do virtuous deeds. It is co-opting a signal for one’s own purposes, and can even be more like fabricating a signal. While virtuous behavior has actual value, virtuous people don’t necessarily broadcast their deeds or portray them in the way signalers do. It’s translated into social status terms. In this sense, “Intelligence-signalling” would be the equivalent of “virtue-signalling” when it becomes about looking cool for one’s social group, and can be totally disconnected from real intelligence—knowing the latest “cool beliefs,” “owning” the out-group, coming up with jargon, etc.
Miller is talking about virtues “evolved in both sexes through mutual mate choice to advertise good genetic quality, parenting abilities, and/or partner traits,” implying a natural correspondence, though of course not one totally reliable. People value kindness and quasi-moral behavior like seeming mentally stable because it tends to correlate with being a “successful” parent and member of the community. Even the ability to fake these things has value. Same with intelligence. Signalling in this sense is closer to demonstrating the virtue than a conscious choice to get attention, as actually improving the space program would be, even if the motivation for doing so was to demonstrate superiority to the Soviets—the goal was to actually be superior to them, not just look good. The opposite of virtue-signalling is actual virtue, not another type of signalling.
So, demonstrating capability, which often means intelligence, seems like it should be classified differently. It will become more popular when there are needs to be met that offer the opportunity to take real action. So, yes, times of war or external threat will have people looking for someone who can actually take on the enemy. If there isn’t much to do, people who can be satisfied by “signalling” whatever quality will get in-group approval will be forced to turn to internal social status concerns. The ability to signal and get feedback is closely tied to things like mass or social media, or certain social arrangements, so I would expect it to be way up under modern conditions. But for most of human history, you lived in a community where people knew you well, and you couldn’t appeal to huge swaths of humanity very easily, so the audience dynamic would be different. The most common kinds of signalling for recognition from others, which are similar to things like etiquette and social standards, would be more formalized.
Modern life has also tended to work against individuals seizing control in response to crises, as we have extensive institutions and norms in place, and tend to standardize how people express their capabilities. But in any type of real emergency or situation where there are any stakes, people will value someone who seems to know what they are doing. It can be hard to assess these situations accurately in the modern world, though, since people are far away from it and the media/government will hype or minimize the stakes as needed and try to direct who gets credit.
I’m not exactly sure how the two differ...it seems like two definitions of “signalling” are getting conflated.
“Virtue-signalling” is generally understood to be a conscious effort to draw the attention of others to one’s own “virtuous” behavior, which may be totally disconnected from any desire to do virtuous deeds. It is co-opting a signal for one’s own purposes, and can even be more like fabricating a signal. While virtuous behavior has actual value, virtuous people don’t necessarily broadcast their deeds or portray them in the way signalers do. It’s translated into social status terms. In this sense, “Intelligence-signalling” would be the equivalent of “virtue-signalling” when it becomes about looking cool for one’s social group, and can be totally disconnected from real intelligence—knowing the latest “cool beliefs,” “owning” the out-group, coming up with jargon, etc.
Miller is talking about virtues “evolved in both sexes through mutual mate choice to advertise good genetic quality, parenting abilities, and/or partner traits,” implying a natural correspondence, though of course not one totally reliable. People value kindness and quasi-moral behavior like seeming mentally stable because it tends to correlate with being a “successful” parent and member of the community. Even the ability to fake these things has value. Same with intelligence. Signalling in this sense is closer to demonstrating the virtue than a conscious choice to get attention, as actually improving the space program would be, even if the motivation for doing so was to demonstrate superiority to the Soviets—the goal was to actually be superior to them, not just look good. The opposite of virtue-signalling is actual virtue, not another type of signalling.
So, demonstrating capability, which often means intelligence, seems like it should be classified differently. It will become more popular when there are needs to be met that offer the opportunity to take real action. So, yes, times of war or external threat will have people looking for someone who can actually take on the enemy. If there isn’t much to do, people who can be satisfied by “signalling” whatever quality will get in-group approval will be forced to turn to internal social status concerns. The ability to signal and get feedback is closely tied to things like mass or social media, or certain social arrangements, so I would expect it to be way up under modern conditions. But for most of human history, you lived in a community where people knew you well, and you couldn’t appeal to huge swaths of humanity very easily, so the audience dynamic would be different. The most common kinds of signalling for recognition from others, which are similar to things like etiquette and social standards, would be more formalized.
Modern life has also tended to work against individuals seizing control in response to crises, as we have extensive institutions and norms in place, and tend to standardize how people express their capabilities. But in any type of real emergency or situation where there are any stakes, people will value someone who seems to know what they are doing. It can be hard to assess these situations accurately in the modern world, though, since people are far away from it and the media/government will hype or minimize the stakes as needed and try to direct who gets credit.