Actors understand – or at least I hope they do! – that human beings have at least two faces. In Japan, it turns out that they have many faces.

There is the public face – in Japanese, known as “tatemae” (建前).

Then there is the private face – in Japanese, known as “honne” (本音).

“Like any field of scientific study, personality psychology needs a descriptive model or taxonomy of its subject matter … Moreover, a generally accepted taxonomy would greatly facilitate the accumulation and communication of empirical findings by offering a standard vocabulary.” Oliver P. John, Institute of Personality and Research, University of California.

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