being modest

A European student was invited to a Japanese family's home who he had a business connection with. He told me a story of that time. There were two very good daughters in the family, so he praised them, "What wonderful daughters you have!" Then, the father replied, "No, they are not good at all." This is quite a normal answer in Japanese, because you regard your family members as a part of you, and being modest to other people about not only yourself but also about your family is virtue. You usually don't say "Yes, my daughters are wonderful." My student knew that in his mind, but it was the first time for him to experience it in person. He said that he thought, "Talk about disrespect to the girls!"