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Masks

In El laberinto de la soledad, Octavio Paz describes a guarded face: “El mexicano se me aparece como un ser que se encierra y se preserva: máscara el rostro, máscara la sonrisa” (The Mexican appears to me as a being who shuts himself in and protects himself: the face a mask, the smile a mask).

Paz finds the same defense in popular speech. “El ideal de la ‘hombría’ consiste en no ‘rajarse’ nunca. Los que se ‘abren’ son cobardes” (The ideal of manliness consists in never “cracking open.” Those who “open up” are cowards). He explains rajarse as “permitir que el mundo exterior penetre en su intimidad” (to let the outside world into one’s intimacy).

The Fiesta

In the chapter “Todos Santos, Día de Muertos” of El laberinto de la soledad, Octavio Paz turns to the fiesta. In its ceremonies, national, local, of the guild or of the family, he writes, “el mexicano se abre al exterior” (the Mexican opens himself to the outside).

In the fiesta, according to Paz, “el mexicano no intenta regresar, sino salir de sí mismo, sobrepasarse” (the Mexican does not try to return, but to go out of himself, to surpass himself).

Children and Drunks

Los niños y los borrachos siempre dicen la verdad. “Children and drunks always tell the truth.” Excélsior used the saying to open a report about a boy who, in the middle of an interview, revealed that his father had been unfaithful with the boy’s godmother: “Bien dicen que los niños y los borrachos siempre dicen la verdad” (They are right when they say that children and drunks always tell the truth).

Outside the Office

In September 2018, Raciel Sosa wrote in Forbes México about silence in companies. “A menudo los colaboradores de una empresa no transmiten lo que piensan” (Often the employees of a company do not pass on what they think). Instead, he observed, “los empleados de una organización hablan de lo que les inquieta y preocupa, fuera de la oficina” (the employees of an organization talk about what troubles and worries them outside the office).

Never in Front of Subordinates

Article 35 of Mexico’s General Regulation of Military Duties, published in the Diario Oficial on March 26, 1937, asks a soldier to show “consideración y deferencia a los inferiores” (consideration and deference to subordinates). It adds that he will “nunca hará observaciones, ni correcciones en presencia de inferiores, ni de personas extrañas” (never make remarks or corrections in front of subordinates or of outsiders).

Article 50 defines the reprimand. The superior points out the fault, “invitándolo a corregirse” (inviting him to correct himself). The reprimand is given so that no one of lower rank than the person concerned “se aperciba de ella” (becomes aware of it).

Moral Damage

Article 1916 of Mexico’s Federal Civil Code begins: “Por daño moral se entiende la afectación que una persona sufre en sus sentimientos, afectos, creencias, decoro, honor” (Moral damage means the harm a person suffers in feelings, affections, beliefs, decorum, honor), and the list continues. The person responsible must repair it “mediante una indemnización en dinero” (through compensation in money). At the victim’s request, the judge can also order an extract of the ruling to be published at the offender’s cost.

Mexico City has a separate law on the right to honor, published on May 19, 2006. Its Article 13 states: “El honor es la valoración que las personas hacen de la personalidad ético-social de un sujeto” (Honor is the assessment that people make of a person’s ethical and social personality).

Where It Hurts Most

On August 19, 2021, the columnist Raymundo Riva Palacio listed in El Financiero occasions on which President López Obrador had contradicted members of his own government in public. Of Finance Secretary Arturo Herrera, he wrote that the president “lo desmintió y descalificó, dejándolo en ridículo” (contradicted and discredited him, leaving him looking ridiculous). Of Alfonso Romo, he wrote: “lo exhibió ante el sector empresarial” (he exposed him before the business community).

Riva Palacio described the president’s way of criticizing his officials with the words “públicamente, donde duele más” (publicly, where it hurts most).

The Dressing Room

In December 2025, the Argentine former player Diego Latorre told ClaroSports about his time at Cruz Azul. After the club lost the Invierno 1999 final to Pachuca, he said, the club’s president, Guillermo “Billy” Álvarez, came into the dressing room and insulted the players. Latorre answered him back. “Firmé la sentencia” (I signed my sentence), he said. Months later, he was told the club no longer counted on him.

He described club owners in Mexico at the time: they “entraban al vestuario cuando las cosas no funcionaban y te insultaban, te decían de todo” (came into the dressing room when things were not working and insulted the players, called them everything).

A Scolding at the Bench

On November 1, 2026, in a Liga MX match between Santos and Necaxa, the Necaxa coach Juan Reynoso substituted the striker Juan Valencia and then scolded him sharply at the bench. Television cameras then showed Valencia on the bench, crying, with his jersey over his face. Publimetro ran the story under the words “Escándalo en Necaxa” (Scandal at Necaxa).

Reynoso then explained himself. “Quería, levantándole la voz, que reaccione y no se sienta culpable” (By raising my voice, I wanted him to react and not to feel guilty). He added: “Juanito es un muchacho espectacular” (Juanito is a spectacular young man).

A Warm Scolding

On January 31, 2026, at an event in San Quintín, Baja California, President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly scolded legislators of her party, Morena, who had asked her for a photo. A video of the moment spread widely. At her press conference the following Monday, she called it “un regaño caluroso” (a warm scolding).