Save Face

Photo is mine.
@allen0187 (58447)
Philippines
October 17, 2016 12:27am CST
Basically, to say 'save face' is to 'do something so that people will continue respecting you'. Used in a sentence, 'His apology wasn't sincere. He merely said it to save face!'. The phrase 'save face' is the opposite of 'lose face'. Historians date the first use of 'lose face' around 1876. The use of 'save face' comes much later than this time. The first known use of 'save face' was at 1899 in the June edition of the magazine The Hamsworth Magazine. Anyway, here's a question for my fellow myLotters out there, how many times have you found yourself losing face and then doing something to save face later on? I've lost count how many times I've lose face but that doesn't matter... what matters was how many times I saved face. Feel free to share your experiences friends!!!
21 people like this
20 responses
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
17 Oct 16
I'm sure I have saved face, but can't remember when or where.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
Happens to the best of us!
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
@tammys85 I never apologize when not needed. Not the best trait but I feel so inferior when I do so.
2 people like this
@tammys85 (29868)
• Baltimore, Maryland
18 Oct 16
Same here, unless you count apologizing even when you're not completely in the wrong.
2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
Yes, sometimes i also would save face in order to compensate for my losing face . It is difficult yes , but it is better that way than forever be ashamed .
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
Especially true among Filipinos. We value our kahihiyan (shame) so much... sometimes, far too much!
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
@SIMPLYD I wonder what lengths you'd go through just to save face!
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
@allen0187 I agree . Me , sometimes i do what is necessary even if it would shame me a bit .
2 people like this
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
14 Nov 16
Complete sincerity is asking too much from a human being. There are people with whom we only act polite but not sincere.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
14 Nov 16
True. One of my favorite mantras in life 'Fake sincerity and people won't know it.' Not that I live by that mantra.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
15 Nov 16
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Oct 16
most interestin' history'n both phrases :) i used to be a people-pleaser, so used to do both quite oft.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
One thing that I have learned and continue to learn is that the only person that you should please is yourself. If you rely on others for acceptance, you will never be truly happy.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Oct 16
@allen0187 so very true :)
1 person likes this
@saulgoodman (2643)
• Dundee, Scotland
18 Oct 16
I think I am bound to have saved face a lot of times but just cant think of any right now
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
Must be selective amnesia! Just kidding!
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
@saulgoodman thanks for sharing that. Perhaps, memory is an issue. What's important is that you've changed and you have taken cared of yourself better.
1 person likes this
• Dundee, Scotland
18 Oct 16
@allen0187 Even stopped smoking. Tonight did a personal best walking home from store with a full back pack on
1 person likes this
• Trinidad And Tobago
22 May 18
There are a few times that I 'lose face' but I am so comfortable with myself that i hardly try to 'save face'. I just can't invest the time. The only time I'll do so is, if i am on a site and i need people to support me to earn money. Then I'll do something to smooth things over.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
22 May 18
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11378)
• United States
10 Mar 17
I'm one of the older people on the board and certainly have done this. We grow and change over the years and learn from errors along the way. Its not easy to give an apology when you feel your right, but if you want to keep your job sometimes that is what you must do now.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
10 Mar 17
Well said @Fishmomma .
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
30 Dec 17
I hope I have not lost face to many times as it makes me cringe wondering.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
31 Dec 17
i guess that is the normal reaction.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157593)
• Boise, Idaho
18 Oct 16
Interesting. I haven't used this expression in ages. I don't recall ever doing that. The question that is.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
The language that we use shows our age! I guess that I'm indeed an old soul!
1 person likes this
@OreoBrownie (3755)
• Commerce, Georgia
18 Apr 17
I can't think of any time where I did something to intentionally save face.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
19 Apr 17
How about unintentionally?
@jobelbojel (34731)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
This adds up to my poor vocabulary. Thanks for the discussion.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
20 Aug 17
1 person likes this
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
25 Oct 16
Sorry, can't remember how many times I have saved face.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
30 Oct 16
That's fine!
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
If it's the opposite of 'losing' face, it should have been 'winning' face. lol
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
You make a valid point!
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Oct 16
I can't recall how many or any. I am rather plain spoken and tend to say what I think, especially since I am retired from full-time work.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
25 Oct 16
Thanks for the response. You mentioned that you have retired from work, what keeps you busy these days?
@lealuvy2j (1986)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
I am usually sincere when I apologize so I seldom "save face" but of course when I do something embarrassing that is probably when I would save face.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
True... no sense giving a false apology.
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (14885)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
I think most of us experience this kind of situstion.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
So true.
@skysnap (20154)
17 Oct 16
I can see that happening plenty of times these days.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
17 Oct 16
Really? How so?
1 person likes this
@shivamani10 (11038)
• Hyderabad, India
17 Oct 16
These are the days of 'save face' only. How many times....means each and every time ...each and every one.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
Everyone is trying to look good in social media. They save face even at the expense of others.
17 Oct 16
In my recollection of any private and public "face", I always believe in honesty in private and in public, sometimes mistaken for bluntness. So, when people publicly apologize and show regret and remorse, and promise of change, I fully believe and accept, and will hold them accountable for keeping their repentance sincere. I refuse to further judge that repentant person and move on.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
18 Oct 16
Wise words!
@FayeHazel (40250)
• United States
30 Nov 16
Certain family and friends like to set it up so that I "lose face". Actually I don't think they're trying to hurt me as much as they're trying to make their won selves look better. So unfortunately I've had to counter back and try to "save face" often