Uncovering values through the absent but implicit

The concept of the “absent but implicit” is significant in narrative practice, and is used in conjunction with reflective storytelling to derive meanings and make sense of situations and experiences. In recounting an experience, a discernment is made between the described experience and other experiences that hold meaning to the storyteller (Carey et al.). This can lead to learning what is important to that person, by deriving value from something that is not present in a situation. This method, in conjunction with other elements of narrative therapy including identifying issues of self-doubt, can be effectively used to determine values that are important to a person, leading to the further development of their personal narrative.

Narrative practice can be used to identify values held by a person through exploration of the “absent but implicit”. The idea of absent but implicit refers to deriving value from something that is not present in a situation. Freedman (2012) describes it as constructing the meaning of an experience by comparing/contrasting it to another experience. A person may not explicitly state what their values are, but the values they hold can often be observed through their narrative telling of an experience, and contrasting it to another experience. What’s missing (or absent) from the problematic experience can be identified as a value held by that person.  Carey, Walther and Russell (2009) describe the use of this concept in therapeutic conversations as “enquiring into the stories of self that lie beyond the problem story”.

Recently, I engaged in a conversation with a friend of mine, Tom. He began telling me of a problem he is experiencing in his workplace. Tom works for a social enterprise, who currently have about 13 permanent employees. Prior to working there, Tom worked for an IT start up, and was earning $65 000 to $70 000 a year. Tom now works for a social enterprise, where he earns $40 000 a year. This is clearly a significant difference, and he expressed sincere dissatisfaction with this issue.  I asked him to tell me more about this, and he was quick to point out that he believes everyone in his workplace is underpaid. When I asked him to tell me why this is important, he answered by saying that everyone in the office works harder and longer than they should, and this is not reflected in their pay. He continued to describe how his colleagues go above and beyond to get the best overall result for the organisation.

Having known Tom for a while, the image of him being someone who values wealth didn’t fit his usual character. Guilfoyle (2014) explains that the concept of the absent but implicit allows us to focus on not just the fact that something doesn’t fit, but “on the idea that this non-fitting element might hint at, imply, or suggest something of importance.” In a short conversation, Tom’s story of valuing money and wealth was replaced with the values of hard work and respect and admiration for his colleagues. The narrative process allowed the absent but implicit values to be revealed.

The notion of the absent but implicit has been widely and successfully used in narrative therapy, but what if it doesn’t lead to the right outcome? Morgan (2000) describes what is known as “thin descriptions” and “thin conclusions”. “Thin description allows little space for the complexities and contradictions of life. It allows little space for people to articulate their own particular meanings of their actions and the context within which they occurred” (Morgan 2000). Thin descriptions of people’s actions and identities are often created by others, and can lead to thin conclusions about people’s values and identities, which can have negative impacts on both the person in question as well as the relationship between that person and the person describing them. For example, a colleague of Tom’s may thinly describe his issue with his salary as being selfish, which may result in him being seen as a selfish person. This would affect both Tom and Tom’s relationship with the colleague, particularly if Tom was struggling with his identity, as he may feel disempowered and accept that he is just a selfish person.

This leads my next point, the construction of personal narrative. Specifically, using self-doubt to further develop your own narrative. Elan Morgan’s (2012) Tedx talk titled “The Power of Personal Narrative” highlights the effects that self-doubt can have on an individual and their narrative. Self-doubt commonly occurs as a self-defense mechanism, but it can also be a substantial obstacle in someone’s ability to take action, to love themselves, and build their personal narrative. Elan, therefore, deconstructs the role that self-doubt plays in our lives and explains through her own experience that if you’re feeling lost or don’t know what you should be doing, look at what barrier is in the way. Identifying such barriers or problems can help distinguish values that are important to a person, by looking not only at what the problem is, but also what is “absent but implicit” – what the problem is not (Carey et al. 2009).

For example, Tom’s self-doubt was initially generated from being unsuccessful in gaining a position in the Qantas Cadetship program to get his commercial pilot’s licence. Following this, he was accepted to study aeronautical engineering at university, but he soon dropped out because he wasn’t happy. This was followed by a long period of feeling adrift and unsure of what to do. It wasn’t until he discovered his love for overseas travel and partook in a volunteer program in India that he figured out what his values were, and subsequently, what he wanted to pursue in life.

For Tom, travelling overseas was something he felt confident in doing, and felt it would positively impact his life. Uncovering this allowed Tom to remove his barrier of self-doubt, in a similar way that blogging allowed Elan Morgan to “roll back the initial layer of self-doubt” (2012). Tom’s two volunteer trips to India then revealed what he truly values: providing people with opportunities. In relation to the absent but implicit, Tom realised he valued providing people with opportunities when he contrasted it with what he thought he valued previously: owning and running a business and becoming wealthy. As Carey et al. state, “we can only make sense of what things are by contrasting them to what they are not” (2009), Tom realised that running a business that made him wealthy was not going to address his true value of providing people with opportunities. Since tackling this, he has been able to adapt and evolve his own personal narrative, with his current ambition being “to create a social business that turns over $5 million in profit to provide people with opportunities”.

The telling of stories in a narrative therapy environment can be an effective and useful method of uncovering a person’s values. The role of the “absent but implicit” in this setting is an exceptionally important aspect of narrative practice. Contrasting problematic situations from situations in which a person holds meaning can assist in making sense of the experience, and reveal values that the person believes to be important. The identification of issues of self-doubt and the way in which people react to these issues can also lead to distinguishing the absent but implicit, and therefore, instigate the further development of an individual’s personal narrative.

 

References

Carey, M, Russell, S & Walther S 2009, ‘The Absent but Implicit: A Map to Support Therapeutic Enquiry’, Family Process, vol. 48, pp.319-331.

Freedman, J 2012, ‘Explorations of the absent but implicit’, The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, no. 4, pp. 1-10.

Guilfoyle, M 2014, ‘Listening in narrative therapy: double listening and empathetic positioning’ South African Journal of Psychology, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 36-49.

Morgan, A 2000, What is Narrative Therapy?: And easy-to-read Introduction, Dulwhich Centre Publications, Adelaide.

Morgan, E 2012, The Power of Personal Narrative: Elan Morgan at Tedx Regina, online video, 19 June, YouTube, viewed 6 June 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkaBXs9aPBU