Question

What does erving goffman call it when we help someone save face by preventing them from realizing that they've done something embarrassing?

Answer 1

I believe the answer is: cooling the mark out
According to Erving goffman, cooling the mark out is considered as a self-destructive behavior that people consciously done to prevent them from realizing they're doing something embarrassing.
It's a form of self-defense mechanism to avoid dealing with failures.