Mianzi Outweighs All Else

By Li Gang



Mianzi Outweighs All Else

By Li Gang

"Mianzi” （face in sociological concept） is an important and interesting word in Mandarin Chinese that has evolved into a synonym for “dignity” and extending beyond its original literal meaning. It embodies a significant concept deeply rooted in Chinese society. Like others， Chinese people always take to heart their dignity and sense of superiority， which they hope will earn them due respect； otherwise， they will “lose face”.

Lu Xun a renowned Chinese writer in the early decades of the 20th century， wrote that mianzi is the key to understanding the morality of the Chinese. It's like the pigtail everyone wore during the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）. Once being seized by his pigtail， one could not move a single step， being completely under another's control. In the words of another author， Lin Yutang， a 20th century master of Chinese culture， one characteristic of the Chinese nation is its valuing of humanity and respect for others. No humiliation could be more unbearable than a wound to one's feelings. Tis was the feeling that led to the former custom of dueling between two Western gentlemen. To show due respect for others and expect the same treatment in return is a Chinese ritual and rule of ex-changes in worldly afairs.

Western scholars have also shown their understanding of this. In the first chapter of Chinese Characteristics， Arthur Henderson Smith （1845-1932） wrote： “In China， mianzi is an intricate collective noun， which has far more connotations than we can describe or understand. It is the key to discovering many important characteristics of the Chinese nation.”

Mianzi is an important link in the Chinese social network. Dignity or face is an irresistible pursuit for those with a consciousness of such things. As an old saying goes， a scholar would rather die than be humiliated. To defend this dignity， one would be prepared to sacrifce one's life if necessary.

Xiang Yu， an ambitious general of the Qin Dynasty （221-206 BC）， provides an example. Afer a vital defeat， he could have taken a boat and fed to his hometown east of the Wujiang River. However， feeling ashamed to face his country folk， he committed suicide. His death saved his dignity and made him revered in history. Face indeed outweighs life.

Humiliation could even lead to war. Duke Huan of Qi， a State existing during the Spring and Autumn Period （770-221 BC）， ran his State very well and made it one of the fve powers of his time. During the reign of his grandson Duke Qing， Qi was still very powerful， and the neighboring states of Jin， Lu， Wei and Cao all paid tribute to it every year.

On one occasion， the four states each dispatched an envoy to Qi that， coincidentally， each had some physical disability or undesirable distinguishing characteristic： Xi Ke of Jin was blind in one eye， Jisun Xingfu of Lu was bald， Sun Liangfu of Wei was a cripple， and Gongzi Shou of Cao was humpbacked. To make fun of them， and amuse his mother， Duke Qing selected four servants for them： a blind man for Xi Ke， a bald man for Jisun Xingfu， a lame man for Sun Liangfu， and a humpbacked man for Gongzi Shou. Te trick entertained the dowager and the court maids， but greatly hurt the feelings of the four envoys. In private，they agreed on a punitive expedition against Qi. Tree years later， the allied force of the four states defeated Qi， which never recovered. Tis shows how dreadful it could be to disregard the feelings of others.

Every coin has two sides. In some cases， valuing face means to safeguard personal or national dignity and therefore deserves every efort. However， in other cases， narrow-minded efforts at face-saving may lead to untold suferings. In the Qing Dynasty （1636-1912）， the Chinese farming civilization had reached a fairly high level. Arrogantly confdent in the country's power， abundant resources and vast territory，the Qing court despised any idea of exchange with other nations and followed a closed-door policy. Tat decision resulted in China missing great opportunities in modern history to achieve social progress.

Face-consciousness is a typical phenomenon in the Chinese culture. Since establishing and maintaining a favorable social relationship means a great deal to individual development， the Chinese are quite careful about others' opinions and feelings.

To the Chinese， mianzi signifies an art of social communication. One's face may be big or small， for it is determined by social status. Generally， the higher the status and rank， the more respect one should receive. Of course， common people also care very much about mianzi and have dignity of their own. It is highly advisable to give them plenty of mianzi and respect their dignity and cultural tradition.

About the author：

The author is a professor of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.