I've long been of the opinion the most important thing we are engaged in as humans is drama. Yesterday, in chat, I was introduced to Erving Goffman, a noted sociologist, author of "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life". It seems I have encountered a kindred soul, or at least one who shares my opinion. Of interest then, is applying this notion to the whole business of spiritual evolution, enlightenment, etc.
Some quotes from Wikipedia:
...society is not homogeneous. We must act differently in different settings. The context we have to judge is not society at large, but the specific context. Goffman suggests that life is a sort of theater, but we also need a parking lot and a cloak room: there is a wider context lying beyond the face-to-face symbolic interaction. "Throughout Presentation of Self, Goffman seems to perceive the individual as nothing more than a cog responsible for the maintenance of the social world by playing his or her part. In fact, he refers to the self as a 'peg' upon which 'something of a collaborative manufacture will be hung for a time.
He [Goffman] believed that when an individual comes in contact with other people, that individual will attempt to control or guide the impression that others might make of him by changing or fixing his or her setting, appearance and manner. At the same time, the person that the individual is interacting with is trying to form and obtain information about the individual.[10] Goffman also believed that all participants in social interactions are engaged in certain practices to avoid being embarrassed or embarrassing others. This led to Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis. Goffman saw a connection between the kinds of acts that people put on in their daily life and theatrical performances. In social interaction, like in theatrical performance there is a front region where the “actors” (individuals) are on stage in front of the audiences. This is where positive aspect of the idea of self and desired impressions are highlighted. There is a back region or stage which can also be considered as a hidden or private place where the individual can be themselves and get rid of their role or identity in society.
What does this mean in terms of what folk present on forums? What is the impact then of determining whether someone is enlightened or not? Perhaps all that is required is to act enlightened, assuming of course, we have determined somehow what that act is comprised of.
