Pretending in public spaces carries minimal risk compared to sustained identity games.
Evidence
Passing and performing are both rather serious identity games. They encompass major portions of the individualâs life round and the stakes involved are frequently rather high. The consequences of losing these games, (that is, being âunmaskedâ) include such unpleasant experiences as imprisonment, job loss, physical and mental abuse, status reduction, and so forth. Fortunately for those urbanites with a bent for adventure but a distaste for catastrophe, there is another option. Pretending is a game that may be played only sporadically and then only for short periods of time. The most serious consequence of failure is mild embarrassment, and that is unlikely to be of long duration. â Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action inâŠ, 962
Categorization
Category: Definitional Content
- DEFINE: Introduces âpretendingâ as a distinct third category alongside passing and performing, with its own risk profile.
- XREF: The low-stakes stranger-based performance connects to the readerâs core concernâhow civil inattention and casual deception in public shape the observerâs trust.
Related
- Three urban identity games graded by stakes of being unmasked (similarity 0.92)
- Pretending differs from passing and performing by its spontaneity (similarity 0.84)
- Performing identity in public differs from passing by staying contained in public space (similarity 0.84)