--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In reviewing his own moral career, the…" description: "\"“In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized individual may single out and retrospectively elaborate experiences which serve for him to account ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/erving-goffman-18642_faith_in-reviewing-his-own-moral-career-the-st_86417.jpg" --- # In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized… ![“In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized individual may single out and retrospectively elaborate experiences which serve for him to account for his coming to the beliefs and practices that he now has regarding his own kind and normals.” quote by Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/erving-goffman-18642_faith_in-reviewing-his-own-moral-career-the-st_86417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/erving-goffman-18642_faith_in-reviewing-his-own-moral-career-the-st_86417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/erving-goffman-18642_faith_in-reviewing-his-own-moral-career-the-st_86417.jpg) > ““In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized individual may single out and retrospectively elaborate experiences which serve for him to account for his coming to the beliefs and practices that he now has regarding his own kind and normals.”” [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People construct personal narratives about their moral identity, selectively recalling events that justify their current beliefs and social stance. **In simple terms:** Self‑storytelling shapes moral self‑image. Key Takeaway Selective memory reinforces identity. Themes identity formation narrative construction social stigma self‑justification Mood reflective analytical critical Type theoretical insight sociological observation When to use this quote - after a social rejection - when defending a marginalized identity - during group discussions Key Concepts sociology of self moral psychology Practical Applications - qualitative research - identity workshops Questions to Reflect On - How does selective recall affect group cohesion? - Can confronting contradictory memories alter self‑perception? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Mental-health-stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health-stigma/) [Stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigma/) [Stigmatization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigmatization/) [Stigmatized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigmatized/) ## Related quotes > [“By developing a contaminated, stigmatized identity, the child victim takes the evil of the abuser into herself and thereby preserves her primary attachments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/by-developing-a-contaminated-stigmatized-identity-the-child-victim/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [The term stigma and its synonyms conceal a double perspective: does the stigmatized individual assume his differentness is known about already or is evident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-term-stigma-and-its-synonyms-conceal-a-double-perspective-does/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The stigmatized individual is asked to act so as to imply neither that his burden is heavy nor that bearing it has made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-stigmatized-individual-is-asked-to-act-so-as-to-imply-neither/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The moral is that a career can be gone in an instant. And all you have in this world are the people you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/the-moral-is-that-a-career-can-be-gone-in-an-instant-and-all-you-have/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [“Here I want to stress that perception of losing one’s mind is based on culturally derived and socially ingrained stereotypes as to the significance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/here-i-want-to-stress-that-perception-of-losing-one-s-mind-is-based/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“Self-stigma can be just a big a problem as the negative attitudes of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-a-arroll/self-stigma-can-be-just-a-big-a-problem-as-the-negative-attitudes-of/) Megan A. Arroll > [“Of course, I should have known the kids would pop out in the atmosphere of Roberta's office. That's what they do when Alice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/of-course-i-should-have-known-the-kids-would-pop-out-in-the/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [“Jenny couldn't believe herself a multiple. She was a mother, a nurse, not that screwball who appeared on the screen like some dysfunctional figment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-byington/jenny-couldn-t-believe-herself-a-multiple-she-was-a-mother-a-nurse/) [Judy Byington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-byington/) > [“Self-stigma refers to the state in which a person with mental illness has come to internalize the negative attitudes about mental illness and turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-w-corrigan/self-stigma-refers-to-the-state-in-which-a-person-with-mental-illness/) Patrick W. Corrigan > [“self-stigma is not a person's fault; nor is it a part of the person's illness! If the public did not hold negative and stigmatizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-w-corrigan/self-stigma-is-not-a-person-s-fault-nor-is-it-a-part-of-the-person-s/) Patrick W. Corrigan > [“~~You are not alone~~ No, really. Literally. Maybe you have always known (or suspected) this. Maybe this news is shocking, baffling, dismaying, even unbelievable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-t-w/you-are-not-alone-no-really-literally-maybe-you-have-always-known-or/) A.T.W > [“The stigmatization and the excruciating pains of social alienation have compelled most victims to conceal their status while the malevolent ones continue to distribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oche-otorkpa/the-stigmatization-and-the-excruciating-pains-of-social-alienation/) [Oche Otorkpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oche-otorkpa/) > [“I will be living with chronic pain for the rest of my life. I don’t have the mobility, energy or life options I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-huber/i-will-be-living-with-chronic-pain-for-the-rest-of-my-life-i-don-t/) Sonya Huber > [“Success and failure can both make you lose appetite and concentration, don't let it bother or over-excite you, just think them away as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/success-and-failure-can-both-make-you-lose-appetite-and-concentration/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“In the debate over opioid addiction, there’s one group we aren’t hearing from: chronic pain patients, many of whom need to use the drugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-smith-2/in-the-debate-over-opioid-addiction-there-s-one-group-we-aren-t/) S. E. Smith ## More by Erving Goffman > [The term stigma and its synonyms conceal a double perspective: does the stigmatized individual assume his differentness is known about already or is evident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-term-stigma-and-its-synonyms-conceal-a-double-perspective-does/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The routines of social intercourse in established settings allow us to deal with anticipated others without special attention or thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-routines-of-social-intercourse-in-established-settings-allow-us/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“When an individual becomes over-involved in a topic of conversation, others are drawn from the talk to the talker. One man's eagerness is another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/when-an-individual-becomes-over-involved-in-a-topic-of-conversation/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“The more there is about the individual that deviates in an undesirable direction from what might have been expected to be true of him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-more-there-is-about-the-individual-that-deviates-in-an/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The self... is not an organic thing that has a specific location, whose fundamental fate is to be born, to mature, to die; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-self-is-not-an-organic-thing-that-has-a-specific-location-whose/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The stigmatized individual is asked to act so as to imply neither that his burden is heavy nor that bearing it has made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-stigmatized-individual-is-asked-to-act-so-as-to-imply-neither/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [There is a close meshing with the ritual properties of persons and with the egocentric forms of territoriality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/there-is-a-close-meshing-with-the-ritual-properties-of-persons-and/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“The act of staring is a thing which one does not ordinarily do to another human being; it seems to put the object stared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-act-of-staring-is-a-thing-which-one-does-not-ordinarily-do-to/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [All the world is not, of course, a stage, but the crucial ways in which it isn’t are not easy to specify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/all-the-world-is-not-of-course-a-stage-but-the-crucial-ways-in-which/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“Morning and lunchtime are times when anyone can appear alone almost anywhere without this giving evidence of how the person is faring in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/morning-and-lunchtime-are-times-when-anyone-can-appear-alone-almost/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“Although the pictures shown here cannot be taken as representative of gender behavior in real life... one can probably make a significant negative statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/although-the-pictures-shown-here-cannot-be-taken-as-representative-of/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [The normal and the stigmatized are not persons, but perspectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-normal-and-the-stigmatized-are-not-persons-but-perspectives/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“...the issue becomes not whether a person has experience with a stigma of his own, because he has, but rather how many varieties he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-issue-becomes-not-whether-a-person-has-experience-with-a-stigma/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [A performer may be taken in by his own act, convinced at the moment that the impression of reality which he fosters is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/a-performer-may-be-taken-in-by-his-own-act-convinced-at-the-moment/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [Perhaps the individual is so viable a god because he can actually understand the ceremonial significance of the way he is treated, and quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/perhaps-the-individual-is-so-viable-a-god-because-he-can-actually/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) [Explore all 34 Erving Goffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) Matt Morris (1 > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. 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