The Dude Abides

One concept that resonated with me in chapter six was that of Goffman’s Dramaturgical Analysis: “The Presentation of Self.” This analysis deals with how we present ourselves in order to create impressions on the people around us. As many others before me, I too went through one of these strange phases of trying out a new role, inventing a new theatrical self. This role was that of the benevolent stoner, a role that fit quite naturally with my newfound interests of bong engineering and herbs of the green variety. My mode of dress included tie die shirts, long hair and sandals made out of rope(yes.. rope). I looked and smelled as if I was perpetually walking out of a Phish concert. This new persona was created for a number of reasons, the most important for me was that it way to fit in in my new surroundings. I found that the character I thought would most universally be liked in high school was someone who was chill, goofy and of course had a supply of bud at the ready. So i set off on my personality shift, and for the most part my plan worked. I was well liked, non threatening and generally thought of as someone who was down to have a good time. 

I got a little too into my method acting in college and by the time my freshman year was over with I was tired of playing the part and looking for a change. As our text book would say, this was a prime example of some good old fashioned role exit.  I cut off my long hair and stopped smoking weed because I was tired of both. I felt like I had spent enough time chilling out to last me for the rest of my life and that I was finally ready to do some real work, after all college isn’t free. After my change from full time stoner to full time student, I noticed some pretty major changes in how people in the world around me perceived my personality and character. When I had long hair and was decked out in my full stoner regalia, I found that people didn’t take me very seriously at all. After I had cut my hair and started looking like a normal human being, I found that my everyday interactions were on the whole more sincere and I was perceived as a more trustworthy and serous character. These days Im just trying to be more of myself. Looking back on my time as a stoner did provide me with some fun stories and experiences, Im ready to be a “functioning member of society.”

Karl Gustafson

http://repository.wcsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=ssj

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brent_Roberts/publication/11847845_A_longitudinal_study_of_personality_change_in_young_adulthood/links/0fcfd50b50ebe66d2d000000.pdf&hl=en&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm35TK02cc5Umh15IliQ2oxKd9jUAQ&nossl=1&oi=scholarr