"face" or "losing face" ( diū liǎn) permeates many
facets of Chinese society and is not as limited as you make it out to be and has worked
quite well, from a social standpoint, for a very long time.

Individualist westerners cannot truly understand the nature of 'face' in Chinese society.

Collective consciousness, awareness of what everyone is thinking and feeling at a specific place/time is not possible in a pluralistic society. In China, when I am the only non-Chinese standing in classroom, the students all share a cultural orientation that I cannot possibly fathom.

Recognizing something exists does not qualify as understanding or experiencing it.

'Face' is intrinsic to the Chinese success at building consensus in all social activity, including their educational institutions.

It often drives me crazy given my Western beliefs in independent thought, free speech, and criticism.

But it is certainly has nothing to do with conscious deception or refusal to take personal responsibility.