“So-So” is NO-NO
China is a developing country and will remain a developing country so long as the national standard (excuse) for poor services and poor products is “This is China, so-so is ok.”
From sales clerks in department stores, to policemen on the street, to medical staff in the best hospitals, service is extremely poor, the result of apathy, indifference, and incompetence. Nobody seems to care.
Goods and products are substandard and even defective but no one complains. Chinese people have learned that complaining brings you personal trouble.
Most Chinese do not want to excel or stand out. They would rather be lost in a crowd than recognized for excellence. Criticism is expected but compliments are taboo and considered embarrassing.
“FACE” is the most prized possession. Chinese do not realize that FACE is simply false pride and has no real time value or that it in fact inhibits personal growth and development. It is not good to lose FACE (be embarrassed) or to cause someone else to lose FACE. Take FACE to Starbucks and see what it will buy. NOTHING!
Take FACE to class and refuse to participate for fear of making mistakes and losing FACE. There will be no educational progress.
Conclusion
This article has developed the argument that the influence of face in classroom interactions is pervasive, complex and powerful among Chinese, illustrated here in a UK university. The concept of face enables us to account for much Chinese behavior in the classroom setting. The four types of face-related factors: low-risk face, collective face, hierarchical face and harmonious face, which are clearly demonstrated in the three Chinese participants in this study, revealed their effectiveness in preventing the active participation of the three Chinese in the classroom activities regardless of their linguistic abilities. The dynamics of the concern for face revealed in this study has confirmed the findings of Chang and Holt (1994), Gao (1996) and Hwang (1987) concerning the face issue among Chinese in settings other than the
classroom. To cite this Article Wu, Xiaoxin(2009) ‘The dynamics of Chinese face mechanisms and classroom behavior: a case study’, Evaluation & Research in Education, 22: 2, 87 — 105
The above article is available to SYSU students on Professor Wolff’s university page.
http://engedu.sysu.org.cn/graduate/holistics/index2.html
The “collective face” retards China’s development. “So-So” is non-confrontational and allows everyone to maintain FACE. But it also insures that services and goods remain at the poorest common denominator, poor.
FACE is a direct consequence of the socialist society that criticizes and even punishes anyone who achieves, excels or stands out, but rewards those who blend in or melt into the crowd. So-So becomes the social standard, although it is a standard of mediocrity.
China’s educational system is a direct product of this collective face mentality. It fuels the test taking mentality and the chalk and talk pedagogy. Every student is required to memorize the exact same answer to each and every question. No one is allowed to think or act differently. Everyone is a robot with programmed thoughts and memorized answers and no one loses FACE. For all to succeed and not lose FACE, the regimen must be at the lowest common denominator.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE!
So long as FACE is a prized possession, China will remain a developing country. FACE predestines failure, it does not foster success.
JUST SAY “NO-NO” TO “SO-SO.”
Face’s existence has remained for thousand years. It was advocated by the Confusianists and followed by most Chinese people. With this phenomenon, China still maintains its development till now. China is such a big country that some people really believe that this attitude can help keeping the country stable. It might be a rule of administrating the country before(now may be innovation).I do not agree with Martin’s idea on China’s future, but SO-SO attitude in class is surely not good. Take me for an example. I really have the attention to and want to gain excellence but it may only form an idea in my mind but will be hard to be realized. I think many people have this kind of experience. What we need to do is just take action, since to some degree, being so-so is one kind of losing face.
It is true that the phenomenon is common in our country .Sometimes it is really a barrier ,we should realize that and its importance .So that we can do better .
So long as the whole society develops a proper concept of the learning and use of English， it will be meaning to keep on arguing over such issues!
So-So attitude is not good in study.But I think that it may be good for such an large population country at least now.If everyone want to be famouse,who would like to be poor in life.And this may cause society problem.Of course,what I want to stress is that we,students,must get out of the so-so attitude.
Yes,I agree with you,professor.So-So attitude brings no improvement in China.As the article mentioned,we seldom complain.I want to say we do complain but we seldom take action!So it brings no changes.
When I reenter this page, I was shocked by the comment I made a few days ago which has been submitted by another name. If I were not here today, maybe I will be told a so-so attitude by our dear teacher Martin. 555~~ Are there really no reasons for a seemlingly so-so attitude? Is that only death could account for our excuses?
First,I want to say that our national standard for services and products is not poor.Our country’s policy making are in hing standard.Unluckily,some people are making mistakes in the course of carrying out these policy.
second,I agree with what you have talked about”FACE” .But,I believe we will overcome this difficulties as soon as possible.we will try our best to change this situation.
The new semester has come, all of us should change the “so-so” attitute and working hard with a positive and initiative attitute.
In my oppion,sometimes “so-so” is someone’s excuse of thier laziness.One of my friends ofen advise me:”Don’t study so hard,60 is ok”.He gets 60 and he always comforts himselfe that so-so is ok.Some people will not try their best and take more time to their work because they want to get more time to relex and they also think so-so is enough.
We are changing now, not only the educational system, but also Chinses’s mentalities. From China participate in WTO, many of us know we must have ourselves characteristic, not only so-so, but porfect!
Yes. These are Chinese tradition, Chinese people have accustomed to these things. They have been numb to these things. There is a saying in China that shoot the bird which takes the lead, which good explains why Chinese like just so so.
I understand the mean of “so-so” and “no-no”.Hehe,unbelievable.Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow.
Every day I can hear anybody saying “So-So is good. “A Chinese old saying goes like this: We are not as excellent as the good, but we do better than the bad(比上不足，比下有余).The So-So attitude makes us satisfy with our lives and lose the desire to advance. Plus, the pressure of life is so heavy in China today that we lose our ideality. We just want to live, what’s the difference between living on our feet or on our knees? We are getting much number. Another reason why Chinese take the So-So attitude is that they are not willing to take risks. We are so familiar with patching our lives that we almost forget how to restart it. When we figure out it is time to do something new, it is too late.
A famous Chinese writer, Hanhan, once wrote: This Nation, eating transgenic food cooked by illegal cooking oil and drinking milk filled with melamine, its endurance is much higher than you can imagine, while its demand is much lower.
Maybe being afraid of losing face is due to that we Chinese care too much about how others look on us.There is an old Chinese saying that the gun shoots the bird which excels. The so-so thoughts may root in this Chinese old philosophy.
To tell the truth, there were so many times, we are in pursuit of the velocity and efficiency but ignore the quality. In fact, better and faster is the ultimate goal of our pursuit. However, when we can’t reach the ability to harvest both speed and quality, quality is more important. so, remember So-So is No-No.
Frankly speaking, what the article told is quite in accordance with the actuality of China. China is still and will remain a developing country for a long time in the future, though China has achieved quite a lot of progress in many aspects. According to me, “face” is the root of many phenomena that are happening around China. To become a giant nation, we Chinese people should cultivate a good habit in life. We should throw away “face” utterly and do as what we think from the bottom of heart. We should be brave more; We should be independent more; We should be more thoughtful.
nobody can deny that our Chinese think highly of “FACE”， this kind of thought has following us about 5000 years！ But it is time to neglect it，because this may prevent us to be more stronger， in this way maybe Chinese will have a brilliant future！
We don’t want to lose face, because we care too much about what people say and how people look us. Because we live in community, we know about our neighbors just like we are a family. If we don’t behave in a proper way, we will be judged by others. But sometimes ours opinion don’t weight too much. If we make a mistake in class, we will flush and be ashamed about ourselves and then worried about being laughed by others. However, in most situation, others didn’t remember our mistake. What’s more, our tradition don’t encourage us to be excel, just in the middle is ok. That’s why no matter what we do we trend to submit a so-so job. But I assume that the situation is change, because nowadays we prefer to be outstanding in our field. We want to be recognized and be praised by others.
Our environment makes us considering face when making a choice or doing some. We want a build a good image in others’ mind, but we forget one thing: who cares. I think it a little a few days before. Because when I met something I didn’t understand, I thought that was their way, and they were happy then. It’s enough. So why can’t I behave on my own? I will live my life in the future. Because nobody cares except myself.
I must admit that this phenomenon of being afraid of losing face is very common in China.Every feild has this phenomenon that has made China become a so-so country.Since we were young we have being affected by this concept so we become robots that can’t think and analyse and we just can remember what the techter has said.I reflect that why we can’t be oursleves,why we refuse to be excellent ,why we just stand out to speak loudly what we think about.Losing face is not terrible,doing a mediocrity is the most terrible.
In my opinion,it is not entirely wrong that chinese people are afraid of losing face.what is the most important is that we have to recognize the occasion that we can’t lose our faces,such as problems involve the right of the whole country.,at the same time,realize that it does’t matter to lose one’s face in some occasion.
You will meet this kind of people everywhere in China. Nobody wants to lose face in China,and some Chinese care about face more than anything. The reason may be the culture. Even though we believe it is not good, nobody want to change the fact.
After I read the articles,it is true to me that I am often unlikely to behave excelling in a group.Maybe one is that I am not very confidence,I was afraid to lose the noting-valued face,I will care that if I stand out others will kid me,it will let me feel fool and face-less.Another reason is that from my elementary school,the teacher tell us we must listen what he say and do what he call us to do.I just want to be a so-called good student , which force me not dare to put any idea conflicted with his.The experience in the past still interfere me the time at which I want do something new,a idea come to my mind it says good boy do not at risk to do such foolish things,just act in the manner which the right people tell you to do.
Today ,I come to know the fear of losing face is my obstacle to the success,The luck is that I realize face is of no importance,I believe I will do better in my after life.
If you didn`t speak for others,one day nobody would speak for you. As you say FACE seems important to Chinese, people choose to endure rather than speak out when they meet with unfair treatment. That`s why China have a good economy situation but still being a developing country.
FACE cultural is handed down from our ancestor not only as a personal honour, but also related to one’s family or even a nation. It should be used to spur one to be outstanding. If say making mistakes or being critized is losing face, then we are really making fuzzy on small things because being nothing or making no progress is the bigger face that we will lost. Although it’s still a common phenomenon, many of us has realized it and are trying to change now. It just need more time to change the public.
No one cares about your “FACE” except yourself!
So-so altitude has been stalling China’s development. But Chinese people won’t face it because the truth will make us lose face. We do need to stand up and put an end to this.
I feel bad to see this but I know it’s true in our society. Some companies want to cut the cost of products with serving substandard and even defective goods. They often think that we can’t develop without money, so they put money first. I know that is not right and we should realize that money is never more important than people.
We can not be perfect. But we should try our best to be perfect! So no so-so attitude and try to be perfect!
It is true that face’s existence has remained for a long time, but it needs a long time for us Chinese to change this problem. As we know our country has learned many things from western country, I think our country will change in the future.
The article reveals the common weakness that nearly every Chinese has,that is “face” is God. Sometime,we over-valued the impression we leave on others,ignoring what our heart really wants.In recent decades,there were no scientits who got the Nobel Prize.Why? Becaues of the so-called” Academician” and “professors”are satisfied with the Achievement，they have accutomed to the conventiona scientific methods and have no creative ideas.I think the pedagogy our universities advercate contributes the forming of “so-so”attitude.So,if China intends to catch the developed countries,the word “so-so” must erased from every individual.
I was astonished by the thorough yet finely orchestrated analysis employed in this paper, which in fact, rightly revealed the phenomenon in China which by too many people accepted as common and nothing special. But somehow i think the otherwise. The reasons that contribute to poor services may lead to a root of ignorance. We literally have no idea about what the appropriate services should be like, that is why the Haagen-Dazs icecream and Starbucks coffee have successfully become luxury places for only those white-collars to enjoy.
We all want to be perfect.But sometimes we are beaten by laziness.Now we are lucky to have the stern teacher to get after us.We are made better and better. LOL
Face is a very important factor when you do things in Chinese. In some occasions, it really prevents the pace of Chinese society. It makes government think it is almost OK when doing things that is not good. For personal things, you may not tell someone the truth when you care about “face”. In foreign countries, it may not occur, that is really Chinese culture.
Be serious to do anything, only change in your attitude, can improve the quality.
“So-So” is NO-NO is the first lesson I learned in the class.We wish to pass a exam with 60 scores, we don’t have high goals especially when I came to college.I have no confidence before the class,I dare not speak English loudly,I am afraid that my pronunciation is not so good, I will ‘lose face’.In the first class,Martin told us that put your face in your dorm. We should do our best.
I know “so-so” is “no-no”. But sometimes, it is not easy to judge whether a man’s attitude is “so-so”. Just like the final oral exam, some students are really not good at speaking and communicating. It is so hard for them to speak tongue twister even in Chinese. One of my friend prepared it for about ten weeks. But the attitude of him was considered “so-so”. I think it is not true.