‘Face’ and how can we learn from it in the West

When I worked in Thailand all the books talk about the concept of ‘face’, after working there for four years I’ve understood some key points: here’s what we can learn from it in the West.

God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.- William Shakespeare

The first phrase that I learnt in Thailand, after ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’, was ‘Mai Bpen Rai’ which literally means ‘no problem’. If you want to accept the phrase on it’s first appearance you would easily buy into the concept of Thailand as laid back, relaxed and stress free. ‘Sabai sabai {take it easy}’, have a fresh coconut and enjoy the land of smiles. However, if you’re interested to go beneath the surface things aren’t all that straightforward.

Have you ever seen the scene in Donnie Brasco in which Johnny Depp’s character explains the term ‘forget about it?’….