Honest John: The Irony Behind Virtue Signaling

In Disney’s classic movie Pinocchio, a character stands out for his hypocrisy: “Honest John.” Ironically, this character turns out to be anything but honest. He presents himself as a cunning fox, using his appearance and words to deceive Pinocchio and take advantage of him. This concept made me reflect: how does this replicate in real life? Is it possible that what we try to “brand” about ourselves is precisely what we lack?

I’ve called this phenomenon "Honest John," and it transcends fiction; it manifests in people, countries, organizations, and all kinds of stories. It is the practice of presenting an image that contrasts with reality, to level perceptions or, in some cases, to hide flaws. This theme connects well with a current phenomenon known as virtue signaling, and how those who most insist on displaying their virtue may be hiding something deeper. True virtue is demonstrated through actions and does not need to be "advertised." But virtue, or moral superiority, has very powerful incentives to be faked. That is why today, and especially on the internet, we are surrounded by “Honest” Johns, with “correct” opinions.

The Ministry of Peace

One of my first encounters with this phenomenon was during a job I had in a political campaign. I worked for a young candidate and often had to make presentations. One day, I was writing a presentation and my immediate boss asked me: "What negative connotations do you find in the word young?" I took a few seconds to respond but chose: "Inexperienced." "Exactly," he said. Immediately after, he instructed me to describe the candidate as a "young person with experience" and explained, in other words, how "Honest John" works.

This strategy is not exclusive to a single campaign. Politicians worldwide have used similar tactics to reshape negative perceptions. For example, a candidate who has faced corruption charges might present themselves as a "defender of transparency." These tactics manipulate language to create a favorable narrative, regardless of reality.

The Irony in Labels

The phenomenon is not limited to politics. For example, companies that proclaim themselves "environmentally friendly" while their practices harm the environment, or leaders who label themselves as "democratic" while perpetuating authoritarian regimes. The irony is found in names like: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), etc., and this reminds us of the Ministry of Peace from George Orwell's novel 1984, which is actually in charge of continuous war.

Another case is that of "social sciences." Despite their name, these disciplines often face criticism for not meeting the same standards of empiricism and replicability as natural sciences. The term "sciences" in this context can be seen as an attempt to gain legitimacy and respect. Bertrand Russell, in his work Philosophy of Science, discusses how the use of scientific terms can be an effort to bestow authority on disciplines that lack the same rigor. Physics does not need to be named as a science, whereas "political science" requires this description to endow it with extra "rigor." The point is understood.

Virtue Signaling

The incentives to be an Honest John today are numerous and the costs very low. It only takes sharing a post judging someone else and by contrast putting yourself on the "right" side. We see it all the time on the internet, just as we put beauty filters on Instagram, we put a moral filter on platforms like Twitter. Virtue signaling is the ultimate expression of this phenomenon.

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, explains how our minds are susceptible to heuristics and biases that can be exploited through branding and manipulation of perceptions. Another contribution from behavioral psychology is that our brain finds it easier to create simple stories to map reality, about good and bad, us versus them.

Conclusion

To navigate a world full of 'Honest Johns,' we must be critical and, above all, pay much more attention to actions and much less to labels. Only then can we distinguish true virtue from mere appearance. Because these discourses, on many occasions, reveal more about their shortcomings than their virtues.