Saving Face.
North America is getting so cranky these days that if the continent had a face, it would be permanently scrunched up like it just bit into a lemon. Everyone’s yelling, nobody’s listening, and the whole place could use a collective cup of chamomile tea. Meanwhile, across the Pacific, East Asia has been quietly running a 3,000‑year‑long masterclass in not losing your cool in public. It’s called saving face — miànzi in China, chaemyeo in Korea, mentsu in Japan — and it’s basically the social equivalent of bubble wrap: it keeps everyone from getting bruised. Why does it work so well there? Because when you’ve got: · China: 150 people per square km · Japan: 340 · Korea: 500 …you learn very quickly that if you start a shouting match, you’re going to be doing it elbow‑to‑elbow with 499 other people who also had a long day. Compare that with: · U.S.: 38 people per square km · Canada: 4 (yes, four — basically “moose per capita” territ...