Face

[chico]

Why is "face" so important for thais and cannot be understand (or at least not in the some way) by farangs, and why can Thais not understand farangs interpretation of "face"? is it only the difference in the culture or is there more behind it?

[tutsiwarrior]

for falangs it's not called 'face'...it's called humiliation, something that many white men would kill over...

[Ajarn]

Why is "face" so important for thais and cannot be understand (or at least not in the some way) by farangs, and why can Thais not understand farangs interpretation of "face"? is it only the difference in the culture or is there more behind it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same same, in my experience. Just a lot more power given to it in this society, as in most Asian societies, it seems.

[Erwin1011]

I read somewhere that the phrase "loosing face" actually generated from Japan.

According to that story the ladies created their white faces with the help of animal fats.

In winter time when sitting in warmer environments, these cakes started to become soft and somewhat liquid, starting to drip down. Hence loosing face.

[chico]

for falangs it's not called 'face'...it's called humiliation, something that many white men would kill over...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

humiliation sounds too harsh to me, maybe "being caught with the fingers in the honeypot" ?

When I remember that 7 years ago a tsunami warning system was rejected mainly for fear of losing face? whereas we farangs are used to this kind of things and feel even more secure with it in place like lifeboatdrills on cruises or lifejacket being explained on planes.

[cdnvic]

In western society its become a competition. You make someone lose face and you gain face by default. In asia if you make someone lose face, you both lose faith.

cv

[chico]

I read somewhere that the phrase "loosing face" actually generated from Japan.

According to that story the ladies created their white faces with the help of animal fats.

In winter time when  sitting in warmer environments, these cakes started to become soft and somewhat liquid, starting to drip down. Hence  loosing face.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if this where not true, it would be a nice interpretation, and it actually makes sense, since when you get caught in anything not so good, your face get red and is really heating up!