In ancient times stigma were physical marks branded on people considered unfit to be in society. Today social stigma shames those seen as 'abnormal' in more insidious ways. Erving Goffman's defining sociological study draws extensively on the lived experiences of those who have found themselves on the edges of society to look at the complex ways in which stigmatized individuals see and project themselves, the strategies they use to deal with rejection, and how stigma can shatter their relationships with others.