Erving Goffman

"We manage our visibility to control how we are categorized by others."

"Social life is a series of encounters where we prove ourselves worthy."

"The performance begins the moment we know we might be observed."

"We maintain social order through mutual agreement to respect performances."

"Stigmatized individuals must manage the tension between their identity and reputation."

"The presentation of self is both constraint and opportunity for self-expression."

"We learn the appropriate performance for each social context through socialization."

"The definition of self depends largely on how others respond to our performance."

"Social encounters require that we take the perspective of others into account."

"The appearance of sincerity is often more important than actual sincerity."

"We are all collaborators in maintaining the illusions that make society possible."

"The breakdown of a performance can be humiliating or even socially devastating."

"We use language, gesture, and appearance to convey our chosen identity."

"Social life requires constant attention to the reactions of those around us."

"The performance of emotion is a crucial aspect of social interaction."

"We negotiate the terms of interaction through our strategic performances."

"Authenticity is achieved through the consistent performance of a particular self."

"The self emerges from the looking glass of others' reactions to us."

"We manage social distance by controlling access to information about ourselves."

"Social order depends on people accepting and respecting others' performances."

"The presentation of self varies across cultures but is universal in its importance."

"We are responsible for maintaining not just our own but others' performances too."

"The performance is never truly over; even in private, we are somewhat aware of ourselves."

"Social interaction is fundamentally an exercise in mutual deception and acceptance."

"We protect ourselves and others through tactful management of social situations."

"The role we play shapes who we become, even when we believe we're just acting."

"Society functions because most people most of the time follow the script."

"We use performance to bridge the gap between our inner reality and social expectation."

"The conscious self-monitoring required for social interaction is a human peculiarity."

"We are simultaneously audience and performer in the theater of social life."