“More broadly—and not just for activists but for everyone in Mao’s China—zhengzhi biaoxian 政治表现 ‘political performance’ was something that could determine job assignments, living conditions, admissions to schools, and a variety of other crucial matters. Biaoxian comes literally from biao ‘surface’ plus xian ‘appear’, and this combination of notions puts the matter exactly right. A person had to present the right appearances in public even if they were different from what he or she was feeling inside. The public persona formed of one’s biaoxian was on display in the workplace or at school. It was especially relevant during political study sessions. One had to pay attention to it, craft it, and guard”