FASCINATING CONCEPT OF “SAVING FACE”

Business /

FASCINATING CONCEPT OF “SAVING FACE” Initially, I was going to write about the quarantine protests, but there is an interesting cultural phenomenon that is very alien to us, but also very counter-productive by any measure, known as “saving face.” For one reason or another, Eastern cultures are quite obsessed with “saving face.” This concept does not even fully translate to English, for it is counterintuitive and alien to us. It is the exact reason why no one questioned the Covid-19 cover-up in China. We just chalked it off as protecting their investment, but we all know had they acted sooner they would have garnered much more sympathy from the world community. This is not a uniquely Chinese problem either. In Turkey, I encountered “Saving Face”, and it has been a topic of quite a few comedy skits and sitcoms. I also heard of this in the past from other cultures as well. How does this “saving face” work? It is surprisingly simple in thought, but quite difficult in practice, the reason why it makes such great comedy material. It is a country or person trying to hide their defects or mistakes through any absurd tactics necessary. Should anyone want to speak about those things to solve it, they will only speak about it in secret among their “in groups.” If you have ever gone to any website where the topic of an Eastern country comes up, almost any time, and without fail, some people will defend that country with whataboutism and will chastise the people who brought it up, not realizing that the discussion of that topic is part of the solution, and it is much more dignified to own up to it and work to address and solve it. That is always the case in the end. We have stories where owning up to it was rewarded and is seen as a strength of character. On the other hand, those who do not realize or possess this awareness will instead humiliate the person with the fault. It all depends on how the owning up is done, and to what end. In the West, we consider it to be a strong and right thing to admit to one’s mistakes and fix them, but in the East, it is considered weak, and instead, not making mistakes is highly praised. They always fail to realize that the only way to not make mistakes is to take extreme precautions when trying something new or taking risks. In this Coronavirus crisis, we have seen what happens when countries try to save face. This should be a lesson for everyone. Honesty is the best policy Read More From This Writer All Post Books Business Culture Education Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports Who We Are FASCINATING CONCEPT OF “SAVING FACE” May 13, 2020/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More F E A R April 13, 2020/No Comments F E A R “There is so much blood pumping through your brain, it is like rocket fuel. Right now, Read More WHAT MATTERS MIGHT NOT MATTER March 13, 2020/No Comments WHAT MATTERS MIGHT NOT MATTER In the past two decades, something very peculiar happened. As we have gained access to Read More Load More End of Content.

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CHRISTIAN PARRA & COMPANY FOUND WAY TO HELP DURING THE CORONAVIRUS

Community /

CHRISTIAN PARRA. As always, you find this young man out there in the street, in the community working to make life better for our communities. If you don’t know Parra, you should! He is the founder of PUSHING Latinos Forward and the Peoples’ Machine, as well as a member of the Puerto Rican/Latino Committee, and a ‘guest writer’ for the Buffalo Latino Village. He recently worked for the PUSH organization, leaving to work with the Citizens Action organization. He called me during the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis (this past month, March), early on a Saturday afternoon to see if I had a list of senior citizens that needed help or food. He explained that there were “too many senior citizens living alone and isolated, and we need to identify them and get to them with food and any assistance we can provide. We just can’t stay home”, he said. He, along with a group of young men and women, and assisted by his partner, Geovaira Hernandez, a Latina who is becoming well-known throughout the state for her work with climate change and environmental issues. A fundraising apparatus was organized, including social media, Facebook, and PayPal, plus direct donations. With the help of their community contacts, the group was able to go shopping for food, and have teams to make food deliveries.  They organized the project into several steps, the first was the purchase of carts; phase two was the preparation of individual care packages, and phase three was the delivery of the food to the elders and large families in the community. They even called me to see if I needed anything, seeing that my wife and I are both senior citizens, but with God’s blessing, we were ok and did not need anything. According to Parra, this effort “will continue until this Coronavirus crisis is over. We can still use support and donation so we can continue. Please help us help our senior citizen community. If you want to donate, go to Paypal or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/helpbuffalofunds. All the money goes directly for food. We are all volunteers, doing this for free, and we feel very good about it, knowing that we are fulfilling a vital role during the time of need.” Parra said he was grateful that many came to help, which includes Adam Bojak is running for NYS Assemblyman in the 149th NYS Assembly District. Other helpers include Eric Antony Maldonado, Avi, and Keith. For information: christianparra113@gmail.com. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.

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WINNING WITH KINDNESS: ANTI-DISSENSION

People /

WINNING WITH KINDNESS: ANTI-DISSENSION Dissension, according to Google’s definition, is a disagreement that leads to Discord. Discord, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas). Now that we have a clearer understanding of what Dissension means, I would like to point out that despite the trying time, we all are going through, we should strive to get along. Of course, I do not mean we have to believe in each other’s religions or ideas; however, we do need to live in harmony within our communities, within each State, and across all lands to the best of our abilities. The utmost best of our ability. I think we all know how tough dealing with the Coronavirus situation has been. It’s taking a toll everywhere. I say “Trying is good. Doing is better. Done is best”, and on that note, let’s live within our homes, and our communities in harmony. I’d like to point out what Dhar Mann* said recently, on March 16, 2020: “Please remember, positivism and kindness are more infectious than any virus. We are called ‘humankind’ for a reason. So spread some love today, and make sure you start with yourself first.” We are blessed to be a blessing. Until the next issue, stay safe and loving. *Entrepreneur with over 11 million followers on social media. He is known for his theme, “Changing life through inspirational storytelling.” Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports WINNING WITH KINDNESS: ANTI-DISSENSION April 24, 2020/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More RESPECTING EACH OTHER: AVOIDING NEGATIVE SPEECH December 24, 2019/No Comments RESPECTING EACH OTHER: AVOIDING NEGATIVE SPEECH Negative speech can be disastrous. As there are examples in human history where thousands Read More SOME THOUGHTS ON “RESULTS” September 24, 2019/No Comments SOME THOUGHTS ON “RESULTS” There are elements that contribute to your ultimate success and measurements that determine your position, always Read More Load More End of Content.

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