Face — the social standing and respect a person holds in relationship contexts — shapes Chinese communication at every level. Your communication can give face (enhancing someone’s standing) or take face (damaging their standing and causing shame). Skilled communicators consider face implications when deciding what to say and how to say it. Criticism that damages face publicly might be acceptable privately.
Allowing someone to demonstrate competence gives face. Public contradiction takes face. Consistently giving face builds relationships and social capital; damaging face creates lasting harm that’s difficult to repair. Face concerns often lead to indirect communication where direct statement would cause damage. Consider not just whether information is accurate but how communicating it will affect the standing of everyone involved.
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