The Virtue Signal

Rhonda L. McDaniel
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education
  • Weekly

We commonly use the term “virtue signaling” to refer to an outward gesture of “virtue” that is meant to win approval from an audience as opposed to an action arising out of authentic personal integrity. In The Virtue Signal, host Rhonda McDaniel looks past applause-winning gestures to engage with the timeless foundations of personal character and demonstrate the importance of virtue for personal growth in character and integrity as well as for citizens in a self-governing society.

  1. 3d ago

    TVS Episode 18 Great Expectations

    What do you want out of life? How would you define wealth and success? The measure we use when answering these questions can make all the difference in our answers. Using the characters in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life , Rhonda looks at how tempering our expectations can lead to satisfaction and happiness amid disastrous circumstances. Sources: Capra, Frank. It’s a Wonderful Life. Liberty Films, 1946. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. On Obligations. Trans. P. G. Walsh. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 2000. Franklin, Benjamin. Poor Richard’s Almanack. Waterloo, IA: U.S.C. Publishing Co., 1914. Online at Archive.org. Plato, Republic. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 1994. Music: Intro/Outro by Dario Coiro via Pixabay. Sting by Open Mind Audio via Pixabay.

  2. Oct 28

    TVS Episode 17 The Golden Eggs

    Why is contentment so hard to come by these days? Advertisements and social media feeds constantly appeal to our emotions by presenting images of the possessions and lifestyle we would like to have, and discontenting us by reminding us that we don't have them. Using Aesop's fable of the goose that laid golden eggs, McDaniel examines how the desire for more and more wealth robs us of contentment while failing to deliver happiness--and what gratitude can do about it. Quotations from: Bennett, William J., Ed. The Book ofVirtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1993. Franklin, Benjamin. Poor Richard’sAlmanack. Waterloo, IA: U.S.C. Publishing Co., 1914. Online at Archive.org. Holy Bible, English StandardVersion. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002. Plato, Republic. Trans. Robin Waterfield.Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 1994.

  3. Oct 21

    TVS Episode 16 The Well-Tempered Character

    The word 'temperance" in the U.S. typically evokes the history of early 20th-century Temperance Societies that attacked drinking and drunkenness and whose work eventually led to the era of Prohibition in the 1920s and 30s. As a result of this experiment with Prohibition, many Americans have a negative reaction to the idea of temperance and have a very limited sense of its application. Rhonda uses Shakespeare's play Richard II to explore how temperance orders and restores proportion to our mental faculties.

  4. Oct 14 ·  Bonus

    TVS Special: WPC Women's Evening of Encouragement

    In September Rhonda was invited to talk about The Virtue Signal at the Women's Evening of Encouragement at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The event was recorded and is presented in this Special Bonus episode.

  5. Oct 14

    TVS Episode 15 The Sporting Virtue

    The most underrated (and rarely discussed) aspect of fortitude is the component virtue of magnanimity, or greatness of soul or heart. This greatness of spirit motivates us to attempt great things, but also gives the gentler strength to rise above petty insults or the jealousy of others in order to maintain an even temper and keep the peace.

  6. Oct 7

    TVS Episode 14 Home of the Brave

    In Episode 14, Home of the Brave, Rhonda looks at the partiotic courage that inspirde Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner." Justice requires that citizens recognize both successes and failures to live up to our national ideals, and true patriotic love for country demands the fortitude to face both old and new challenges to the striving to become a more virtuous nation.

  7. Sep 30

    TVS Episode 13 Keep Your Head

    Rhonda begins Episode 13, Keep Your Head, with a look at the Two Minutes Hate in George Orwell's novel, 1984, in order to discuss the tendency to dehumanize the opposition and how the virtue of fortitude joins with the virtues of prudence and justice to address this tendency.

  8. Sep 23

    TVS Episode 12 Everyday Justice

    Episode 12 Everyday Justice begins the exploration of the virtue of justice at the most basic level of how we treat each other by examining the role of manners in building a respecting and just society. At the individual level, manners communicate respect for those around us by treating with the dignity and the tolerance that is their due as fellow human beings. Sources: Adams, Samuel. Letter to James Warren, 12 February 1779. Didion, Joan. “Self-Respect: Its Source, Its Power,” Vogue(August 1, 1961), 62–63. Milton, John. Areopagitica. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/jebb-areopagitica-1644-jebb-ed. Peaceigive.com. https://peaceigive.com › 2020 › 01 › 21 ›psst-manners-are-racist-and-ableist-too. Plato, Republic. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 1994. Music: Intro/Outro by Dario Coiro via Pixabay. Sting by Open Mind Audio via Pixabay.

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About

We commonly use the term “virtue signaling” to refer to an outward gesture of “virtue” that is meant to win approval from an audience as opposed to an action arising out of authentic personal integrity. In The Virtue Signal, host Rhonda McDaniel looks past applause-winning gestures to engage with the timeless foundations of personal character and demonstrate the importance of virtue for personal growth in character and integrity as well as for citizens in a self-governing society.

Information

  • Creator
    Rhonda L. McDaniel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rhonda L. McDaniel
  • Show Website
    The Virtue Signal