This Seinfeld scene perfectly captures one that seems to be running rampant lately.
Kramer gets sponsorship for an AIDS fundraiser walk. In spite of being completely out of shape and hungover, he is determined to raise money for the cause.
When signing up, he is requested to wear a red ribbon, the symbol of the march against AIDS. For whatever reason, Kramer refuses. “No thank you” he kindly declines, causing the confused lady to scream at him as he makes his way to the starting line.
During the walk, other volunteers notice his lack of ribbon and begin questioning his intentions.
Volunteer 1: Hey, where’s your ribbon?
Kramer: Oh, I don’t wear the ribbon.
Volunteer 2: You don’t wear the ribbon? Aren’t you against AIDS?
Kramer: Yeah I’m against AIDS. I’m walking, aren’t I?
Word spreads of the one volunteer who refuses to wear the group symbol. They begin to see him as an enemy of the cause, a threat against their common goal. Supporting AIDS treatment is not important, all that matters is wearing the ribbon.
Eventually, the volunteers decide to deal with their perceived ‘enemy’.
They gang up on him and beat him senseless. They prefer to raise less money for the cause than to have someone without a ribbon passing the finish line.
He still makes it, presumably fueled by pure spite
People care about empty gestures a hell of a lot more than they care about action. Posting the flag/symbol/catchphrase of a cause is far greater in peoples perception than actually supporting the cause.
It’s how Will Smith can get a standing ovation for a five minute speech about God and love, one hour after publicly assaulting Chris Rock.
This is also good career advice, by the way. The work you say you do is far more important than the work you actually do.