It’s all around us; it’s our daily life, our interactions.
But how do we act? Why do we act that way? Would you argue your actions are
independent of the situational norms and true to the very center of your being?
Whether you think they are or aren’t, there are strong arguments expressed by
Erving Goffman that says your actions are de facto influenced by the situation
you’re in.
“The
individual as a character performed” (p.256) Erving holds the idea of
individuals as performers that act in ways to maintain their reputation of
however they desire to be perceived. But he says they are performing in a moral
world and as performers they aren’t concerned with the moral issue of the
realization of the action but only in the actions perception, depicting the
intention of the performer. That the performer might act well enough to
convince their audience, they too, share with society “a single definition of
the situation” (p.257). Whether or not the action is credited or discredited,
it is a concern to the performer because the requirement of a performance by a character
is inorganic to the self. “Nothing real or actual can happen to the performer” (p.257)
because the performer isn’t real, it all goes away with the specific situation
that evoked it and the only thing left is the reputation that the self wants
others to see it embodies, whether it does or doesn’t. It all comes down to how
convincing the impression was/is.
The
self is you, as you were born, but as you grow up you grow up as a product. A
product of all the experiences and interactions you’ve had throughout your life
to date. You grow up developing your ideal-self; you base this off of everything
you’ve seen/felt/experienced etc. everything you’ve liked and disliked about
all of it. “The machinery of
self-production sometimes breaks down, exposing its components.” (p.257). This simply
recognizes and exhibits how people try to adapt to norms. They hatch what they
think to be adequate productions, but as it falls apart the performer’s insecurities
are revealed consequently revealing the synthetic natured performance of
response.
So
returning to the question of whether or not you consider your actions to be truly
idiosyncratic, think about the times you feel insecure. Are there a few or
many?
@1:12- those names aren't real (first or last is made up with first or last of real name)
@1:35- that's not a real trick and they only have 5 rounds before the finals.
I think the couple at :50 is joking the whole thing but they're pretty funny.
I hope the speaker at the end was not serious by the way she talked! Very valley girl. Like and totally was used numerous times. lol I liked the video and how individuals painted or wrote expressions on their stomachs. This also gave outsiders a view of their "selves" and how they want to be perceived. There are many ways to relate your concepts to the video, well done!
ReplyDeleteSuch a powerful statement regarding how people act toward others........"the only thing left is the reputation that the self wants others to see it . It all comes down to how convincing the impression was/is". As I have grown older I see very clearly that people are very often NOT what you expect. People in our society have become extremely good at "putting their best foot forward" just long enough to get what they want and then their true colors bleed through their facades! This fustrates me because I feel that it doesn't allow a person to be truly themselves, instead they are a manifestation of what society has shaped them to be. The rare occasion when I meet someone who is genuine is such a delight! #ikeepsitreal!!!! ;)
ReplyDelete