Grice and Goffman on irrationality

Speranza

Goffman writes (p. 21):

"Among his own, the stigmatized individual can use his disadvantage as a basis for organizing life, but he must resign himself to a half-world to do so."

"Here he may develop to its fullest his sad tale accounting for his possession of the stigma."

"The explanation produced by the MENTALLY DEFECTIVE to account for admission to the institution for their kind provide an example."

Here Goffman quotes from

R. Edgerton and G. Sabah, "From Mortification to Aggrandizement: Changing Self-Concepts in the Careers of the Mental Retarded," Psychiatry, vol. XXV, 1962, p. 268.

Goffman adds: "For further comment on sad sales, see Goffman, "The Moral Career of the Mental Patient," Psychiatry, vol. XXII, 1959, 133-134.

"I got mixed up with a gang. One ngiht we were robbing a gas station and the cops got me. I don't belong in here."

"You know, I shouldn't be here at all. I'm EPILEPTIC, I don't belong here with these other people."

"My parents hate me and ut me in here".

"They say I'm crazy. I'm not crazy, but even if I was, I don't below in here with these low-grades."