Losing Face

When you create a certain face (or a mask) and then do something that contradicts it, you lose face (Goffman, 1955). People may perceive you as phony and may feel betrayed by your actions. Losing face can also cause you to experience embarrassment—feelings of shame, humiliation, and sadness. For example, when Steve was in high school, he competed at a state public-speaking tournament. During the final qualifying round, he suddenly blanked in the middle of his speech. As he stood there silently for several seconds, feeling and looking incompetent in front of his audience, he contradicted his face of “confident, competitive public speaker.” The result was embarrassment that he remembers to this day.