How much will we continue to pay for "facesaving?" (Ⅰ)

11:01, September 06, 2012

In April 2011, a 17-year-old youth surnamed Wang, as a living kidney provider,received an operation of removing his right kidney in a hospital of Chenzhou, HunanProvince. The operation failed and Wang was severely injured, but Wang got only alittle more than 20,000 yuan in compensation. Surprisingly, Wang's incentive of sellinghis kidney was to buy an iPhone. Although this sensational incident was just anindividual case, it is not rarely-seen that somebody steals or robs others to buyproducts of name brands.

Currently, some youths of China, in order to pursue the "fashion," have gone so farthat they do not consider products of non-name brands. Somebody calls this kind ofconsumption "face-saving consumption." In opinions of "face-saving consumers," only ifthey wear clothes of name brands will they have "face" and not be looked down upon.

In China, the "face-saving consumers" are not just young people but cover people ofvarious ages and social classes. "Face-saving consumption" is very common both inurban and rural areas. It is not an exaggeration to say that the "face" is the largest vainglory of Chinese people. What accompany the vain glory of "saving face" are thementalities of showing off, comparing and going with the stream. Therefore, althoughpeople know "it costs money to save face," they still, in order to show off or make themlook good, repeatedly do the thing to pretend to be wealthy.

In the current China with abundant material products, Chinese people's sense ofdiligence and thrift is weakening, and the money worship, idea of advocating enjoyinglife and comparing phenomenon are overwhelming. In addition to keeping "upgrading"levels of food, clothing, housing and means of travelling to show off their statuses andwealth, some people also spend money thriftlessly while holding a wedding, funeral,birthday party or other celebrating parties so that they feel good in front of their friendsand relatives. Some salary-earning families and farming families often use up all theirsavings or even borrow money to hold an activity of such kind.

Today when showing off wealth and the comparing consumption have turned into"mainstream," many people have distorted their souls and formed an abnormal "outlookon face," leading to a situation that pursuing the luxury has reached an extreme levelboth in the official circle and among common people. The subsequent waste is alsoastonishing. According to a survey by the China Agricultural University, the waste offood only in the food and drink industry of China is already enough for providing for200 million people! The extravagance and waste not only bring heaven economicburdens to individuals and families of China but also are further exhausting the limitedwater, electricity, mine, land and forestry resources of China and putting on a heavierpressure on our living environment.

For only a "face" but not meeting the requirements of living and developing, we havepaid too high and too heavy price. In China where natural resources are not abundant,treasuring resource, advocating conservation and properly consuming must turn intofundamental ideas and voluntary actions of Chinese people.

Read the Chinese version: 为面子我们还要付多大代价

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（Editor：马茜、梁军）