It's evident that face is an important aspect of one's self-esteem. But as I mentioned in the meditation group tonight, I wonder if all the face saving we do is just a farce to show the fact that we believe in a permanent self. But if I am able to recognize that my mistakes are temporary, and develop the proper contrition about them, then there is no need to dwell on face at all. The feeling of dwelling on self is replaced with a strong desire to change and fix one's behaviors so that they can avoid making the same mistakes again.
Face is tricky because it is always based on something we already did in the past. Past is past, though, and whatever conditions lead up to the current, these two will pass again. So when we base our current image of ourselves on something past, we are missing the chance to take action in the present and maximize our being in the world. It's much better to review what one has done and ask the question, "What can I do better next time? How might my past failures be an impetus for me to do so much better in the future, to become a better me?"
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