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Mianzi is an important and interesting word in Mandarin Chinese which has evolved into a synonym for “dignity” and even beyond that from its literal meaning. It embodies a significant concept deeply rooted in Chinese society. When with others， Chinese people always take to heart their dignity and superiority， which they hope will earn them due respect. Otherwise， they will“lose face.”
Lu Xun， a renowned modern Chinese writer， says that mianzi is the key moral to the Chinese. It’s like the pigtail men wore during the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）. Once seized by his pigtail， one could not move a single step， but was completely under another’s control. In the words of Lin Yutang， a master of Chinese culture， one characteristic of the Chinese nation is their value of humanity and the respect of others. No humiliation will be more unbearable than a wound to their feelings. This is the same as in a duel between two Western gentlemen. To show due respect for others and expect others to do the same in return is the Chinese ritual and rule of exchange in worldly affairs.
Of Chinese mianzi， Western scholars also have incisive observations. In Chinese Characteristics， Arthur Henderson Smith（1845-1932） talks about mianzi in the first chapter. “In China， mianzi is an intricate collective noun， which has far more connotations than what we can describe or understand，” he writes. “It is the key to discover 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 the faceconscious Chinese. As the old saying goes， a scholar would rather die than be humiliated. To defend his dignity， one would lay down his life， let alone any other efforts.
Xiang Yu， an ambitious general of the Qin Dynasty （221-206 B.C.）， provides an example. After a vital defeat， he could have taken a boat and fled to his hometown. But feeling ashamed to face his country folk， he committed suicide. His death saved his dignity and made him revered in history. This shows that to the Chinese， face weighs far more than life.
Things always have two sides. In some cases， valuing face means to safeguard personal or national dignity and therefore deserves every effort. But in other cases， narrow-minded efforts for face’s sake may lead to untold sufferings. In the Qing Dynasty， the Chinese farming civilization had reached a fairly high level. Arrogantly confident in the country’s power， abundant resources and vast territory， the Qing court despised any idea of exchange with others and followed a closed-door policy. That decision resulted in China missing great opportunities in modern history for 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 other’s opinions and feelings.
To the Chinese， mianzi signifies an art of social communication. One’s face may be big or small， but his mianzi is determined by his social status. Generally， the higher the status and rank he has， the more respect he receives. 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.
Lu Xun， a renowned modern Chinese writer， says that mianzi is the key moral to the Chinese. It’s like the pigtail men wore during the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）. Once seized by his pigtail， one could not move a single step， but was completely under another’s control. In the words of Lin Yutang， a master of Chinese culture， one characteristic of the Chinese nation is their value of humanity and the respect of others. No humiliation will be more unbearable than a wound to their feelings. This is the same as in a duel between two Western gentlemen. To show due respect for others and expect others to do the same in return is the Chinese ritual and rule of exchange in worldly affairs.
Of Chinese mianzi， Western scholars also have incisive observations. In Chinese Characteristics， Arthur Henderson Smith（1845-1932） talks about mianzi in the first chapter. “In China， mianzi is an intricate collective noun， which has far more connotations than what we can describe or understand，” he writes. “It is the key to discover 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 the faceconscious Chinese. As the old saying goes， a scholar would rather die than be humiliated. To defend his dignity， one would lay down his life， let alone any other efforts.
Xiang Yu， an ambitious general of the Qin Dynasty （221-206 B.C.）， provides an example. After a vital defeat， he could have taken a boat and fled to his hometown. But feeling ashamed to face his country folk， he committed suicide. His death saved his dignity and made him revered in history. This shows that to the Chinese， face weighs far more than life.
Things always have two sides. In some cases， valuing face means to safeguard personal or national dignity and therefore deserves every effort. But in other cases， narrow-minded efforts for face’s sake may lead to untold sufferings. In the Qing Dynasty， the Chinese farming civilization had reached a fairly high level. Arrogantly confident in the country’s power， abundant resources and vast territory， the Qing court despised any idea of exchange with others and followed a closed-door policy. That decision resulted in China missing great opportunities in modern history for 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 other’s opinions and feelings.
To the Chinese， mianzi signifies an art of social communication. One’s face may be big or small， but his mianzi is determined by his social status. Generally， the higher the status and rank he has， the more respect he receives. 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.