goffman

goffman

i haven't posted in awhile

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goffman works because no one actually "is" anything. they are only playing roles. this is where i believe macintyre's claim falls short. if there actually were such a thing as doctor or teacher, rather than a performance in the first place, than macintyre would be dead on to say that masquerading reality would actually be possible. people are successful in their roles only up to the level that they are successful in performing them.

while the confidence man may be able to trick people into thinking he is a doctor, he is not a as successful a doctor, even if he were to complete his tasks with greater efficiency, as the man who went through medical school. the difference is that they man who went through medical school and took all the socially correct avenues towards becoming a doctor puts on a much better performance than the one who fakes everything, even if the man faking everything is able to convince everyone, including himself.

in theatre, a performer must step into the role she is playing. she must live it with every breath in order that when the day comes, she may convince the argument that she is not an actress, but rather the person she is playing. this is the same for the doctor. a person must live their life as a doctor in every way until they finally come to the point where they have to convince the audience that they are indeed a doctor. even after obtaining the appropriate credentials, the performance is still necessary.