Irving Goffman

"Social interaction requires a shared agreement to maintain polite fictions."

"We are all essentially 'passing' in some way—presenting a version of ourselves to others."

"The self is a performed act rather than an essential entity."

"Embarrassment and shame are results of failed performances in the social theater."

"Every individual develops techniques and strategies for managing their public presentation."

"Social life depends on our ability to be somewhat inauthentic and strategic."

"Interaction is a delicate dance where both parties must cooperate to maintain order."

"We strategically disclose information about ourselves based on our audience."

"The concept of privacy reflects our need to have spaces where we don't perform."

"Etiquette exists to smooth over the friction caused by competing performances."

"Every group has an invisible boundary between those in the know and outsiders."

"We internalize social rules so deeply that we often forget we are following them."

"Information control is central to maintaining our desired social identity."

"The audience plays as crucial a role in creating identity as the performer."

"Status and honor are entirely dependent on others' willingness to recognize them."

"Social interaction breaks down when people abandon the effort to manage impressions."

"We learn to perform appropriate emotion even when we feel something entirely different."

"The notion of authenticity is itself a performance—a deliberate presentation of seeming genuine."

"Trust in society rests on the assumption that people will maintain their performances."

"Every institution has unstated rules that govern how members must present themselves."

"We become the roles we play so completely that the distinction fades over time."

"Vulnerabilities are carefully hidden away in social interaction to maintain status."

"The self is a collaborative production, not an individual achievement."

"Social performance requires constant emotional labor and psychological management."

"We develop separate identities for different social circles and contexts."

"Lying is sometimes necessary to maintain social harmony and mutual dignity."

"The gap between our private and public selves grows larger the more prominent we become."

"Ritualistic behavior serves to reinforce social bonds and shared understanding."

"Personal identity is less about internal essence and more about social position."

"We are all skilled at reading subtle cues that reveal when others are not being genuine."