Definición y Significado de "face-threatening act"

What is a "face-threatening act"?

A face-threatening act is a communicative action that challenges or threatens someone's social identity, self-esteem, or dignity in a conversation. This can occur through direct criticism, insults, requests that impose on someone's time, or any behavior that undermines a person's social face or public image. For example, telling someone, "You always make mistakes," can be seen as a face-threatening act because it may damage that person's self-esteem. Understanding face-threatening acts is important in communication, as they can affect relationships and influence how people respond to one another in social interactions.