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“East is East, West is West and never the twain shall meet,”
so stated Rudyard Kipling, English poet, writer and jingoist,
more than one hundred years ago. Much water has flowed under the
bridge since then, and the East and West have met and united on
many global issues.
But there is a fundamental aspect of Eastern culture that distinguishes
it from that of the West - the concept of “face”
or mianzi. It encompasses self-control in the “face”
of society, the people that surround you and the people you meet
every day, none of whom would hesitate to turn their back on you
should your behavior be seriously inappropriate. One could say
that Chinese civilization is built on the idea of “shame”
rather than “original sin” as it is in
the Christian countries of the West. A Chinese person whose misbehavior
incurs shame must make amends to society rather than to God, which
is a far more complex procedure. This is why the Chinese do all
they can to avoid hasty actions that they will later regret.
There is a Chinese saying, “Face is to Man what bark
is to trees.” The concept of “face”
is one associated with reputation and prestige, in short with
a person’s “positive public image.”
It can be subdivided into mianzi and lian, both of which are paramount
within social relations and social hierarchy. Mianzi is associated
with prestige and status, in terms of education, wealth and social
position: it is society’s positive assessment of a
person. Lian, on the other hand, pertains to moral integrity and
social conduct and constitutes the respect a person commands as
commendation of their decency and sense of honor, regardless of
social position. Maintenance of “face”
is vital within Chinese social relations as it is a measure of
power and influence, whether in a well-to-do urban environment
or a small village. Loss of lian means loss of trust within a
social network, while loss of mianzi loses a person their authority
and status. For example, gossiping about someone who has stolen
from a cash register would cause a loss of lian (to the gossiper
that is). Repeatedly interrupting one’s boss while
he is trying to speak would cause him or her to lose mianzi but
not lian. Loss of mianzi does not necessarily bring with it a
loss of lian, but it is almost impossible to keep mianzi once
lian is lost.
The concept of face is by no means confined to China. It is also
prevalent in Japan and the ROK, which is why all three are disposed
to compromise rather than openly clash with each other or indeed
any other country, the idea of mianzi also applying to interstate
relations. The people of South East and Eastern Asia avoid interrupting
anyone while they are speaking, open criticism and saying “no”
unambiguously, all in an effort to save their own and their interlocutor’s
“face.”
Westerners accustomed to straightforwardness in their personal
and working relations often find it difficult to grasp the idea
of “face.” They say “no”
if unable or unwilling to do something, and interpret the answer
to a request that is anything other than a straight “no”
as meaning “yes” or at least “I
will do my best.” This is not the way in China,
where no request or enquiry is answered with an unequivocal “no.”
If a look of doubt flashes across the relevant person’s
face as he or she answers “maybe” or
“I will do my best,” it can be interpreted
as refusal, either for reasons of inability or disinclination.
And a Chinese person would also interpret a Western “maybe”
as an indirect refusal that allows them to keep “face”.
In a recent survey, over 93 percent of participants said that
they place much more value on their mianzi than lian because it
connotes a person’s good character, moral fiber and
dignity. The most humiliating loss of mianzi was considered by
the overwhelming majority to be that caused by public gaffes,
the failed fulfillment of one’s promise coming in
a close second. More than half of respondents dread the shame
of their ignorance being exposed, a feeling to which a person
from any cultural background could relate. But almost half of
those polled considered the worse loss of face to be not having
enough cash on them when treating friends to dinner.
The battle to foot the bill can be seen daily in the restaurants
of China, and another “face” aspect of
dining out is the excessive ordering of dishes. This is to avoid
the loss of face incurred by empty dishes and clean plates that
could reflect on the host’s generosity, or rather
lack of it. The resultant wasted food is disregarded in favor
of maintaining mianzi.
So what gives one face in a Chinese environment? Being able to
do something others cannot do, and being praised in public are
the two fastest routes to hao mianzi (great honor) according to
the survey mentioned earlier. That is why tangible tributes to
moral, academic and sporting excellence, in the form of proudly
displayed diplomas, tablets and cups are so commonly seen in shops,
restaurants and enterprises, as well as homes.
Interestingly enough, the poll showed that manual laborers pay
less attention to “face” than white collars.
Also that the higher a person’s position - in
society or in the working hierarchy -- the greater their “face”
consciousness.
I keep “face” by abiding by the Old
Testament tenet to “Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you.” This I find infallible for keeping
my own and saving others “face.” So,
despite Eastern/Western differences it is possible for us to agree
on the way to behave. I like to think that we actually have more
similarities than differences, if only to prove Rudyard Kipling
dead wrong.
INESA PLESKACHEUSKAYA is the Beijing bureau chief of the Belorussian
National Newspaper Balarus Today and the National TV channel
ONT.
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