Gaining Face And Looking Good

[realthaideal]

Hi fellow werd nerdz. Sometimes when speaking with Thais about their culture, I find myself at a sticking point where I'm wanting to better express the idea of making yourself look good. This could be a good generous thing such as helping raise money for the Wat in your community, or could be more ostentatious like throwing a big party to show how much money you have. There are many ways people try to look good, some more noble, others more selfish. But the idea is that it is the opposite of losing face ทำให้เสียหน้า, it is looking good to others. In some cases trying to look good more selfishly, in other cases simply doing the right thing - almost like making merit. How do Thais express looking good, and gaining face / making a reputation in the community? Surely they don't just say 'gain face.' So what do they say instead ?

And while we're at it, how about making a reputation for yourself ? Reputation as well can have a sliding scale from a good reputation all the way to infamy or something to the effect of connoting a very bad reputation. I'm very curious about these ideas.

[aanon]

Hi fellow werd nerdz. Sometimes when speaking with Thais about their culture, I find myself at a sticking point where I'm wanting to better express the idea of making yourself look good. This could be a good generous thing such as helping raise money for the Wat in your community, or could be more ostentatious like throwing a big party to show how much money you have. There are many ways people try to look good, some more noble, others more selfish. But the idea is that it is the opposite of losing face ทำให้เสียหน้า, it is looking good to others. In some cases trying to look good more selfishly, in other cases simply doing the right thing - almost like making merit. How do Thais express looking good, and gaining face / making a reputation in the community? Surely they don't just say 'gain face.' So what do they say instead ?

And while we're at it, how about making a reputation for yourself ? Reputation as well can have a sliding scale from a good reputation all the way to infamy or something to the effect of connoting a very bad reputation. I'm very curious about these ideas.

hi,

ทำเพื่อเอาหน้า is one was to express it. ทำเพราะอยากให้ตัวเองดูโก้ ดูดี ดูยิ่งใหญ่ is another way of saying it. ทำเพื่อสร้างชื่อเสียง is acting to make a reputation for oneself.

all the best.

[meadish_sweetball]

And while we're at it, how about making a reputation for yourself ?

Friends of mine use '[FL]saang [FL]chue' (build name) for this.

(Just saw aanon had a similar construction above... and other good suggestions. I think ทำเพื่อเอาหน้า is a good description, but if you are talking directly to the person who is doing it, perhaps a less blunt way of putting it would be a good idea.)

[DavidHouston]

Here are some terms in a similar vein from Lexitron and คลังคำ:

สร้างฐานะ – to raise one's status

ไต่เต้า [V] make one's way up; be a self-made person

Def. ค่อยๆ สร้างฐานะด้วยความมานะพยายาม.

"to steadily build one's status through hard work"

Sample:เขาไต่เต้าจากข้าราชการชั้นผู้น้อยจนเป็นผู้อำนวยการกอง

"He built up his status from a low-ranking official to being the head of a department."

สรางตัว = สร้างฐานะ

ก่อรางสร้างตัว (a bit more of a poetic phrase)– ค่อยๆ สร้างฐานะจนร่ำรวย – to steadily raise one's status until one is wealthy

ถีบตัว [V] climb to; improve; make oneself better

Syn. ไต่เต้า

Def. พยายามเลื่อนฐานะขึ้น.

"to attempt to move one's status up"

Sample:แม็คโครจะต้องปรับตัวให้มีสมรรถนะเหนือคู่แข่งและถีบตัวขึ้นไปเรื่อยๆ

"Macro [presumably the retain chain] must adapt itself to generate a capability greater than its competitors and to improve itself steadily."

Edited October 5, 2007 by DavidHouston

[DavidHouston]

There is an expression that conveys an opposite viewpoint, that is, someone who contributes in a self-effacing manner, for example, someone who provides assistance but eschews recognition. The expression is "ติดทองหลังพระ", literally, to stick the gold foil on the back of the Buddha image. The notion is that a person who attaches the gold foil to the back of the Buddha image will not be seen by the rest of the worshipers in the temple. Here is a usage from the ThaiMusic webboard:

"การพึ่งพาหรือขอคำแนะนำโดยใช้ Webboard นี้เป็นสื่อ ก็จะเป็นการช่วยเหลือกันแบบ ติดทองหลังพระ (ไม่หวังสิ่งตอบแทน ไม่ประกาศตัวว่า...เป็นผู้ช่วยเหลือ)"

"Relying on or requesting assistance by using this web board for information is [for the person providing assistance] like "sticking gold foil on the back of the Buddha image" (with no expectation of compensation or without the ability to claim, 'He, I provided this help'. "