 Goffman 's book Stigma : Notes on the Management of <unk> Identity ( 1963 ) examines how , to protect their identities when they depart from approved standards of behavior or appearance , people manage impressions of themselves – mainly through concealment . Stigma <unk> to the shame that a person may feel when he or she fails to meet other people 's standards , and to the fear of being discredited – which causes the individual not to reveal his or her shortcomings . Thus , a person with a criminal record may simply <unk> that information from fear of being judged by <unk> that person happens to encounter . 
