Asks Quote by Erving Goffman
“So I ask that these papers be taken for what they merely are: exercises, trials, tryouts, a means of displaying possibilities, not establishing fact.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Sociology of Everyday Life, 1973
The author treats papers as experimental tools rather than definitive proof.
In simple terms: Papers are experiments, not facts.
Treat research as exploratory.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy making
- product development
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure experiments are not taken as final conclusions?
- What safeguards protect against over‑reliance on preliminary data?
Experiments may still be misinterpreted as truth.