Impression management is a normal part of social life. But it is not that important when it comes to overall competence. Particularly, if it becomes excessive, impression management can turn into mental health issues.
Different Stages of Performance
Much like a theater, how we present ourselves has metaphorically different stages. Social psychologist and sociologist Erving Goffman compared everyday interaction to a performance, and used “front stage” to refer to public image, and “backstage” to where they can simply be who they are.
The front stage is any setting where an audience is present. A job interview, a first date, a meeting with a doctor, a dinner party. In these contexts, people stay composed and present the best version of themselves. They regulate their appearance, verbal, and non-verbal cues in ways that serve the image they want to project. Yet the performance doesn’t equal dishonesty; it is mainly adaptive.
The backstage generally refers to personal space where people can drop the register they maintain in public. Despite its relaxing nature, however, Goffman saw the backstage not as the rise of an authentic self, but rather, as a different type of presentation: the one with a smaller and more trusted audience.
Overdoing May Lead to Mental Health Problems
Maintaining a curated image may already be part of the natural adaptation in social life. Goffman also framed impression management as a social fact, not a pathology. But the line between adaptive self-presentation and chronic self-concealment is thinner than it looks, and the problem arises when the performance becomes too demanding or is too different from the true self.
A 2020 study found that impression management is negatively related to life satisfaction, because there is less sense of control and more loneliness. A 2015 study found that excessive impression management not only backfires but is also correlated with self-deception. That said, when front-stage performance becomes dominant, people might spend less energy in the genuine backstage spaces. And there is more pressure to keep maintaining. Research also shows that in performance-heavy occasions, such as a job interview, where the first impression matters the most, impression management actually is a main factor contributing to stress and anxiety.
Over time, this gap between one’s public and private self can contribute to mental health challenges that are more difficult to navigate.
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