If a professor were to trip over his own feet and fall down while trying to write something on the blackboard, very few students would point and laugh. And if the professor then loudly insisted, "I meant to do that!" chances are no one would contradict him, at least not verbally, but instead would assist their instructor in regaining his dignity. What would Goffman call this process?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Goffman would call this process "cooling the mark out," which involves helping someone save face after a potentially embarrassing situation.

If a Professor Were to Trip Over His Own Feet