Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Caesar1313]

I've seen this term come up quite a few times in other threads. Can someone explain what "face" is and how it influences how Koreans act.

[aphase]

It's the part of the body where the eyes, nose, and mouth are located.

[monkinwonderland]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_%28social_concept%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(self_image)

It's not just a thing in Korea. It's all across Asia. As you can see from the Wiki, like many parts of Korean culture, it came from China.

It's about maintaining composure in front of others, etc.

[endo]

Saving face is basically about not allowing people to call you out for your stupid actions.

[TBirdMG]

It's reputation or street cred.

The big difference is that you never "call somebody out" on an error, ill intentions, or malfeasances in front of a larger group. If so, they LOSE FACE.
Maintaining appearances, no matter how obviously false, pretentious, silly, or blatantly wrong, is a big component of Confucian societies.

"Calling" someone on their bad behavior, errors, etc...but it tends to happen in more subtle ways, in small groups involving only the most directly involves, and/or behind closed doors.

It takes time to get used to it, especially if you come from a media crazed, highly reactionary, puritan, justice oriented society. You can still get your way on 90% what really matters...you just need to learn how to go about "clarifying" your needs and wants with everyone else.

If nobody's embarrassed or offended in the process of "clarifying," then most likely everyone will remain happy and hence, "keep face."

[billybrobby]

Face is a simplistic, vaguely defined concept employed by the armchair sociologists on this board to explain everything about Korean behavior -- real and imagined -- that annoys them.

See also: Confucianism.

[crusher_of_heads]

It's tantamount to passive-aggressive retardation you constantly see in sulking teenagers in the civilized world. Teachers would be better off using the Love Stick on those most concerned about saving face.

It's true, certain unmentionable poster,it's true.

[PeteJB]

All my life I've had the following traits:

* Stubborn, want to do things myself.
* Pretty self conscious.
* Lots of pride, but sometimes in a bad way.
* Very subtle about things.
* Don't convey my feelings clearly.
* Make up a lot of stuff to improve someones feeling.

Asian blood or something...

[Whistleblower]

얼굴.

[bobbyhanlon]

why is this seen as an exclusively asian thing?? we have the expressions 'saving face' and 'losing face' in english too, and i know i sure as hell would be annoyed if someone criticised my actions in front of others.

[Pete82]

...

[samd]

[jkelly80]

Whatever the hell it was, it works OK in an agricultural society, not so well in a post-Industrial one.

See also: serfdom, feudalism, fiefs, etc

[JamesFord]

It's all about maintaining their huge egos.

[moosehead]

it's based on 2 realities - the one people see and the other which is the actual substance - but the line is quite blurred between the 2 and sometimes they are actually interchangeable although that doesn't mean they are one and the same - quite the opposite - they are always separate entities - or dimensions of sorts - the younger an individual is the less they have and therefore their two realities are intertwined with their families until they grow older and finally separate the underlying reality and develop their outer one which is the one that belongs to the individual.

so the underlying one is always intertwined with family, friends and coworkers but the outer one is the superficial one that is more indiviualized BUT again the two do intertwine and the outer one is quite dependent on the inner one - and vice versa.

however, this dependence is often a false dependence and based on the alternate reality that things are not what they actually seem to be since people often base their own sense of face on each other's - which are also real and not so real - hence the insanity.

got all that??