In the English language, “face-saving” carries a derogatory flavor. People say, “We are doing that just to let them save face,” implying that a little pretense has been created to allow someone to go along without feeling badly. The tone implies ridicule. This is a grave misunderstanding of the role and importance of face-saving. Face-saving reflects people’s need to reconcile the stand taken in a negotiation or an agreement with their existing principles and with their past words and deeds.
