ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the core referents that were addressed in the willing adjustment dimension to review them from the point of view of the individual and through the defensive function they fulfill. The most appropriate referent for developing the relationship between situational improprieties and the interaction order was the so-called mentally ill because it allowed Goffman to show the extent to which we are socially impelled to follow the social rules and moral conventions while at the same time incorporate his partisan view. In accordance with the dual perspective, Goffman made a clear distinction between the functions that role distance serves for the situated system and those it serves for the individuals, and it is germane to reiterate that he explicitly referred to the "defensive functions" of role distance for individuals and also its connection with resistance. Muttering, stick-out-tongue, and thumb-to-nose are some of the most important referents and some of the most neglected.
