To convert shame into honor

"An Arab considers it an affront to his honor to suffer loss of face. This 'tyranny of the face' leads an Arab to do everything possible not to show his troubles to those close to him, let alone his enemies." ... "Lying and cheating in the Arab world is not really a moral matter but a method of safeguarding honor and status, avoiding shame, and at all times exploiting possibilities, for those with the wits for it, deftly and expeditiously to convert shame into honor on their own account, and vice versa for their opponents. If honor so demands, lies and cheating may become absolute imperatives." (As quoted in Honor: A History, James Bowman, 2006; page 27).