Chapter Ten: Have You Ever Sang Your Own Praises for Saving 
?
"We have to choose the best location, hire a French designer… a British butler wearing a wig stands within the building, looking like a gentleman. When proprietors come, he will say to them, "May I help you, Sir?" no matter how busy he is! Speaking fluent English with a pure London accent will give you much 
"
These are classic lines of the famous Chinese movie Super Star, 
. They are funny and also convey some psychological aspects of Chinese people, especially "". For saving , some Chinese people may make a fool of themselves, lie to others, or even hurt others. So what does really mean in Chinese culture?
Originally, means the surface of some physical objects. For example, we can say “
” or “the surface of the quilt.” It can also mean powder. For example, we can say 
, powdered medicine. But with the development of psychological linguistics, is endowed with more profound cultural meanings. I am sure you must have heard some Chinese people say 
on business occasions or during some other ceremonies. Here, means face literally. It does not refer to our body part, but a kind of honor. So people always try their best to save their .
In daily life, phrases like "
, be concerned about face-saving", "
, be keen on face-saving ", "
, save one's face", "
, lose one's face", and "
, hurt one's face" are often heard.
But why do Chinese people love their "" so much? Historically speaking, it is closely related with Confucianism. China has been greatly influenced by this philosophical thinking for thousands of years. Its core is that harmony matters most. So, we would not embarrass others in public by any means. Even when someone tells lies, we would not call out their lie in front of them. This is a polite way to show our respect to other people. Gradually, we develop a habit of saving our own face and others'.
In addition, people love their because of some psychological factors. First of all, some people have power and money. They enjoy a good reputation or a high status in some fields of society. To maintain their public image, they have to love their . When it comes to behaving in public, they will be very cautious about their words and deeds. When others speak highly of them, their vanity is greatly satisfied.
Second, some people love their because they feel self-abased. Due to different social and personal reasons, they may feel inferior to other people in their job, family, study, love, etc. They long for these things from the bottom of their heart, but they cannot have them now. So, they may do some things to improve their self-image.
This mental activity results in their loving . For example, a man's family is not perfect. He often quarrels with his wife, and his kid is not doing well in school. Out of the aforementioned reasons, he won't let others know these potentially embarrassing things. Therefore in an effort to hide the truth, he always tells other people that his wife is very beautiful and kind, that his kid behaves very well in school, and that his whole family is very harmonious. This is a very typical case in saving face.
Finally, some people love their because they do not have proper judgment. After learning some kids in his son's class are going abroad, he wants his son to go abroad too. In his eyes, following popular trends is a good way to save/boost face.
There is nothing good or bad about , as long as you don't do harm to others' interests. It is just a reflection of Chinese culture in one aspect. Teachers won't blame his or her students directly for saving their face; parents let their kids go to well-known universities like other kids do to gain for themselves; stars and bosses donate to charities for face-saving reasons… Examples like this are too numerous to go on.
Do you have a basic knowledge of in Chinese culture? As an old saying goes "men rest on their face just as trees rest on their bark". is vital to Chinese people. I am sure you must have done something in your life to save your own or others'. Please feel free to share them with us.
Vocabulary:
v. be concerned about face-saving
v. be keen on face-saving
v. save one's face
v. hurt one's face
v. lose one's face