Erving Goffman

"The rules of social interaction often require that we lie in small, acceptable ways."

"We develop different performances for different audiences, and these performances are not always consistent."

"The maintenance of social order depends upon the willingness of people to perform their roles acceptably."

"Every person is a performer, but not every performance is conscious or intentional."

"We use social tokens—titles, uniforms, and artifacts—to establish and maintain our positions."

"The front stage and back stage are not absolute categories; the boundary between them is constantly shifting."

"What seems like natural behavior is often the result of extensive, unconscious preparation."

"In social life, appearance and reality are deeply intertwined; we cannot easily separate them."

"The self is an ongoing achievement, not a fixed entity."

"We are motivated to present ourselves favorably, even when no one is watching."

"Every interaction contains the potential for embarrassment, shame, and loss of face."

"The context in which an interaction takes place shapes what performances are possible and appropriate."

"We often use other people as props or foils in our performances of self."

"Inconsistency in performance can lead to the loss of credibility and social standing."

"The management of impressions is not a superficial or trivial matter—it is central to social life."

"When we label someone as deviant, we are often enforcing conformity to unstated social rules."

"The presentation of self requires constant micro-adjustments and corrections."

"Social interactions follow patterns that are predictable because they are rule-governed."

"We are each responsible for managing the impressions we give off, and others are responsible for managing ours."

"The concept of face is universal, though what counts as losing face varies across cultures."

"Every person performs identity, but the performances vary in their sophistication and intentionality."

"We use impression management not to deceive others, but to cooperate in creating a shared reality."

"The self presented in social interaction is not false, but it is selective and strategic."

"In every interaction, we must maintain both our own face and the face of the other person."

"The rules that govern social interaction are learned through participation in social life."

"We become committed to our performances, and they become part of how we see ourselves."

"The presentation of self is not something we do; it is something we are."

"Every person has a responsibility to help maintain the social performances of those around them."

"The failure of a performance can have serious consequences for how we are treated by others."

"We use symbols—clothing, language, gestures—to communicate our identities to others."