Irving Goffman

"Interaction requires a shared agreement about what is real and appropriate."

"The backstage self is often quite different from the frontstage self."

"We develop expertise in reading social cues over time."

"Stigma can be managed through selective disclosure and passing."

"The presentation of self has psychological and social consequences."

"We are all motivated to make favorable impressions on others."

"Social interaction is a form of collaborative drama."

"The self is something we do, not something we have."

"Respect and deference are essential to maintaining social order."

"We learn what is acceptable through socialization and feedback."

"The presentation of self connects the individual to society."

"Institutional life reveals the contingency of what we take for granted."

"We manage impressions to maintain our sense of self-worth."

"The interaction order is maintained through small acts of civility."

"The individual plays a role in the workplace, performing competence and professionalism regardless of inner feelings."

"We are all actors on the stage of social life, carefully managing the impressions we give to others."

"Face-work is the process by which individuals maintain their dignity and the dignity of others in interaction."

"Embarrassment arises when there is a gap between the self we present and the self revealed by circumstance."

"Total institutions strip away individual identity and subject residents to systematic dehumanization."

"The self is not a fixed entity but a product of social interaction and role performance."

"We engage in impression management constantly, curating what others perceive about us."

"Social interaction requires a delicate negotiation of mutual respect and presented self-image."

"The front stage is where we perform our best selves; the backstage is where authentic behavior emerges."

"Stigma is a social construct that marks individuals as morally inferior or fundamentally flawed."

"We are simultaneously performers and audience members in the theater of everyday life."

"Social norms function as invisible scripts that guide acceptable behavior in specific contexts."

"The presentation of self is a fundamental human activity that shapes all social encounters."

"Asylums represent the antithesis of freedom, controlling every aspect of resident existence."

"Ritualistic politeness prevents social chaos by creating predictable patterns of interaction."

"Identity is not something we possess but something we accomplish through ongoing interaction."