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The Unvirtues describes the disowned aspects of identity which lie underneath claimed good intentions and virtuous qualities. It is related to concepts such as the shadow and radical honesty. However, the Unvirtues are distinguished by the context of a relational ethos which which emphasises improving the quality of connection.

The concept was developed by Steve Vinay Gunther, a Gestalt therapist and trainer, and Sutara Ling, a Gestalt therapist and parenting educator. It is important to note that this approach does not imply support or encouragement of unethical behaviour; rather, it advocates the value of acknowledging failings and bringing them into relationship.

Theory
The Unvirtues refer to what are normally seen as ethical or interpersonal failings; aspects of self which may be viewed as undesirable, and which lead to behaviours that stem from self-interest.

This approach does not make judgements about either ethical or unethical behaviour. Instead, it takes an existential view, emphasising acknowledgement of the ‘what is’.

Recognition of the Unvirtues is seen as important in order to achieve some of the following goals:
 * 1) The development a more holistic personality, through acknowledging and owning disowned aspects of self. This references Gestalt theory and pratice in regards to what are described as polarities, and which Fritz Perls referred to as ‘splits in the personality’.
 * 2) The practice of authenticity, both with oneself and others. Gestalt therapy, and other therapeutic modalities value authenticity, both as a principle, and as a practice . The I-Thou notions of Martin Buber suggest the importance of horizontal relationships, which involve transparency on the part of both people.
 * 3) A developed sense of responsibility - a term which has a specific meaning in the context of existential therapies such as Gestalt . This involves heightened awareness of self, including components which may normally lie out of awareness (sometimes described as the unconscious). The Unvirtues are difficult to acknowledge, due to generally being viewed as undesirable, in contrast with virtues which are seen as laudable and required in a range of contexts - social, cultural, religious, and professional.
 * 4) A transcendence of the shame which tends to be associated with the Unvirtues, through finding sufficient internal support, and the development of personal ground. Through self reflection and support, it can be possible to reduce internal negative judgements towards oneself,  allowing the development of attitudes towards one’s own Unvirtues which may include a sense of humour regarding one’s own foilbles.
 * 5) Owning the ‘grain of truth’ in the observations or criticisms received from other people, which involves recognising the Unvirtue they may be pointing at, and agreeing with the element of their ‘feedback’ which is accurate. This requires non-defensive listening, and movement away from argument and towards acknowledgment. This approach stands in contrast with the defensive use of the term ‘projection’ by professionals or others, to deny the validity of a person’s perceptions.
 * 6) The development of intimacy through the willingness to bring all aspects of oneself into relationship. The skill associated with the Unvirtues involves the use of ‘clean language’, which entails a high degree of ‘ownership’ and ‘I language’.
 * 7) The communication of momentary Unvirtous states, as well as meta-level statements about one’s Unvirtous characteristics. Skills associated with the practice of owned communication in relation to the Unvirtues involve the capacity to take a meta position in relation to oneself, and then express that as a relational statement.

Context
Professional ethics have become a cornerstone of professional practice, particularly in the realm of psychotherapy. Whilst this is widely recognised as important, one of the downsides is a ‘new moralism’, which which arises in conjunction with the expectation - and often legislation - of required minimum standards, and often extended to include aspirational standards.

These ethics suggest (and often require) the overriding of self-interest, in favour of the fiduciary responsilbity to the client. The same principle (going beyond self-interest as a virtuous act) may also be applied to social situations and interpersonal relationships. This idea is behind the requirement to declare conflicts of interest in economic or political settings.

However, one possible consequence is that people may fail to recognise their self-interest because there is a significant negative social or professional valence associated with it; sometimes there are high costs for revealing less desirable tendencies or actions, such as punishment or exclusion. The promotion of virtues - such as service, respect, and consideration of other’s needs - may have the unintended consequence of making it more difficult to acknowledge one’s Unvirtues, resulting in them being put ‘underground’. Some parallel terms for this are Freud’s notion of the Id, or Jung’s description of ‘the shadow’.

The Unvirtues are also related to some of the ideas of Salomo Friedländer, who introduced the grotesque - using irony and shock to trigger reflection on the disowned aspects of good intentions and high moral ground, both individually and culturally.

Other forms of art can achieve this, especially comedy - a place where the acknowlegement of Unvirtues is not only legitimised, but presented in a way which allows people to release tension.

Virtues are understood to have meaning only in relation to their binary opposites, and provide a direction for human striving. However, if unvirtous qualities or acts are excluded from awareness, the result may be that they can accompany intended virtuous action, and in certain circumstances may even eclipse intentionality, forming destructive but unacknowledged actions or ways of being.

The Unvirtues encompass a recognition of the underside of identified and lauded virtues, as well as a set of practices to bring these into relationship in order to deepen connection.

Operationally, working with the Unvirtues is differentiated from self-criticism, self-abasement, or anything which would constitute a hostile attack on self. The emphasis in this approach is on full responsiblity in the existential sense, which incorporates recognition, ownership, and what Sartre refers to as good faith.

Skills and practice
The Unvirtues describe any possible negative or socially undesirable characteristic or action, often expressed in slang words (e.g bitch, or bastard), but are also described in more classic terms, for instance the Seven Deadly Sins.

The application of working with the Unvirtues is most immediate in professional settings such as psychotherapy, or intimate settings such as close relationships. It can however be applied, with some caution, in other settings and relationships.

In psychotherapy, working with the Unvirtues can include

A. Client facilitation
 * 1) Supporting a client to bring their Unvirtues into awareness
 * 2) Guiding them towards how to take ownership of their Unvirtues
 * 3) Helping them bring their Unvirtues into connection by way of relational statements.

B. Therapist demonstration
 * 1) Acknowledging the therapists own Unvirtues, in general, as part of a self-disclosure which is in the service of the client’s process
 * 2) Providing an example to the client, by the therapist applying the above three steps to themselves, in relation to the client. For instance, the therapist declaring the limits of their care, their own reactiveness, or their own self-interest in the process. This should always be done with skill and caution, and in service to the client’s development.
 * 3) Responding to a client's perception of a therapist’s Unvirtues, by acknowledging the grain of truth in their fears or criticisms.
 * 4) Taking oneself lightly, in regards to faults, flaws and mistakes; demonstrating the capacity to be self-deprecating, including laughing at one's own expense.

C. Interpersonal applications

These can include core elements above - awareness, ownership and relational statements, applied to self (rather than facilitated in others).

Some of the consequent competencies which may be developed through this practice, include an increased capacity to hear criticism non-reactively, and the development of a sense of humour about oneself and one’s failings.

Examples
A. Owning general Unvirtues characteristics B. Present-centred Unvirtues statements
 * 1) ‘I am a selfish bastard at times’
 * 2) ‘I can be incredibly impatient if I am not getting the response I want’
 * 3) ‘I have a manipulative part which comes out when I want to hide my attempts at control’
 * 1) ‘Right now I hate you’
 * 2) ‘I want to take more than my fair share in this situation’
 * 3) ‘I don’t care about you right now’
 * 4) ‘I feel poisionously angry right now, and want to hurt you in some way’

History and development
The Unvirtues was first introduced in a workshop by Gunther and Ling, presented at an AAGT conference in Nobbbys Creek, Australia in 2009. It was further refined and presented at a GANZ conference in Queenstown 2010. A webpage outlining the Unvirtues was first launched in 2013. In 2014 it was included as one of the courses comprising a Masters in Spiritual Psychology, at Ryokan College, Los Angeles.