Someone behaves differently in public than in private. They may be friendly and polite to your face, but speak ill of you or act differently when you're not around. It denotes hypocrisy.
This is a strong criticism in Chinese culture, which values sincerity (诚) and consistency in behavior. 'Face' culture sometimes encourages polite behavior, but this saying condemns the deceptive mismatch.
This saying serves as a social warning and a tool for character assessment. It highlights the difference between surface-level harmony (which is socially required) and genuine integrity (which is morally required).
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