What Is Not Self Theme In Human Design?
What is the not self in Human Design? Is it bad? No. Is it good? Also, No. Nothing in Human Design is ever good, or bad. One of the biggest challenges in our journey with Human Design is understanding that nothing can be labeled as positive or negative- it just is.
When we look at our BodyGraphs there are areas of openness (white) and definition (colored in). Our defined areas are our life force. We carry the energy of our definition everywhere we go. On the other hand, our open centers take in energy from our environment. These centers can be a source of great power, but also a place of vulnerability. When we take in energy that tells us we are wrong, we become vulnerable to living as our not self. Following our strategy and authority is the way to combat this not-self.
When we are operating in the not self, it’s common to try to meet the expectations of others in order to be recognized. This is not a flaw in our personalities but part of our hardwiring as a human being. We want to feel accepted by those around us because at a primal level, this means we are safe. We find ourselves in a precarious situation when we are recognized for our not-self because it is not real recognition. After all, the Projector thrives on recognition.
Get Your Human Design Chart And Find Out
Go to https://freehumandesignchart.com to get your free Human Design chart. Human Design charts have three basic parts: the body graph, the birth chart, and the keynotes. At the bottom of your chart, you will see a section called Keynotes, which is a short summary of the most important parts of your chart- including your emotional theme
How Can I Know What My Real Self Theme / Human Design Signature Is?
The keynote section of your Human Design chart contains the biggest aspects of your chart:
- your type and your unique decision-making strategy,
- your authority—whether you are spontaneous or whether you need time to make good choices—and
- your emotional theme—which emotion you may find most challenging in your life. (Rest assured, if you live true to who you really are, you dramatically improve your experience of your emotional theme.)
Human Design Signatures vs. Not Self Themes
Traditional Human Design teaches that when we live in alignment with our designs by following our strategy and authority we experience our type’s signature. When we live according to our conditioning we will experience our not-self themes.
The Not Self Theme Of Generators (Alchemists) and Manifesting Generators (Time Benders)
Generators and Manifesting Generators experience their not-self in a very similar manner. Generators are here to get things done and Manifesting Generators are here to work on multiple things all at once.
As with the Generator, the Manifesting Generator’s strategy is to respond. The difference here is, Manifesting Generators can bring things into existence (like a Manifestor / Initiator), while Generators need to wait to respond and focus on their own work. If a Manifesting Generator and a Generator start the same job at the same time, the Manifesting Generator will appear to learn the ropes more quickly. But if you compare the two six months later, the Generator will have caught up, and they will both be at the same level of mastery, because the Generator has a more deliberate process.
The Manifesting Generator’s not self theme is similar to the pure generator’s – they feel frustrated. but also experience anger like a Manifestor. To avoid living in the not self the Generator and Manifesting Generator must wait for the inner authority before responding to opportunities.
The Not Self Theme Of Manifestors (Initiators)
Manifestors are a hybrid between energy and non-energy types. Non-energy does not mean that they lack physical energy, it often means they lack consistent energy because they do not have a defined Sacral Center. Energy types have consistent access to Sacral energy which allows them the energy they need to create.
Manifestors are recognized by their defined throat connected to one of the three motors, and a lack of a defined sacral. Manifestors have the energy to initiate, to begin, but not to carry them out. Manifestors are typically very independent and may look like they are working but in fact, they are initiating. Manifestor strategy is to inform those around them, and combined with their skill of initiation they make amazing bosses.
Manifestors are here to be peaceful. They are here to say what they want when they want to say it and set the tone for the work. Once the tone is set they need to take a break. When Manifestors allow themselves to be verbal about their wants and needs they can be one of the happiest types.
Conversely, when Manifestors do not follow their strategy of informing others they can become angry. When they do not inform, they are viewed as impulsive, arrogant, or even mean. They feel anger because others are interfering with their creative flow and they cannot initiate properly. Anger makes the not self Manifestor even more unapproachable leading to a continuation of the anger cycle.
Living true to their strategy of informing others will ensure that the Manifestor is happy, rested, and able to initiate amazing things.
The Not Self Theme Of Projectors (Orchestrators)
Projectors are here to guide – they are not here to work. Projectors do not have defined Sacral Centers or any manifesting channels. Projectors often feel broken or defective because they can not keep up with the world around them leading to bitterness and burnout.
Projectors can see the potential in others and are designed to guide others to reach their potential, but only when they are invited to do so. When a Projector waits for their invitation they can guide others properly. When a Projector takes on projects without an invitation or works consistently, they will feel bitter and experience periods of total exhaustion. The not self theme for Projectors is bitterness.
The Projector can be overly eager for invitations and end up accepting the wrong ones out of fear. Projectors must discern which invitations are correct for them and recognize their wisdom. Trust in yourself and your abilities and wait for the right invitations to avoid bitterness.
The Not Self Theme Of Reflectors (Calibrators)
Reflectors make up approximately 1% of the world’s population – they are unique because they have no defined centers in their chart. No defined centers mean that Reflectors do not have access to reliable, or consistent, energy,
Reflectors reflect, and multiply, the energies around them and they experience other’s energy in a very intense way. When Reflectors sample different people and environments, they develop unique perspectives and knowledge.
Reflectors reflect the defined centers of those around them. When people meet Reflectors, they see aspects of themselves and rarely see the Reflector. Think about seeing your reflection in someone’s sunglasses, you are looking at someone but seeing yourself.
The Reflector’s strategy is to wait a full lunar cycle to make a decision – 29 days. The lunar cycle allows the Reflector time to sample the energies of the planetary transits, and to release themselves of others’ energies, before making decisions.
The not self theme of the Reflector is disappointment. Because the Reflector can see the potential of humanity they feel disappointment when they act too quickly. When Reflectors do not honor themselves they will feel disappointed.
Are Not Self Thoughts Bad?
The mind has warped and misconstrued the not self aspects of who we are. Our DNA is predisposed to survival, and this preoccupation permeates our minds as well. Our mind gathers knowledge from all of our experiences throughout the years, sorts it into categories, creates mental survival tactics, and compartmentalizes it. We then go on to live a life based on these misguided and distorted mental coping mechanisms, making one misguided mental choice after another, until we finally live a life that is not us —a life of the Not Self.
Not self simply means-not me. The phrase is not meant to assign blame, instill guilt or shame, or to make you feel terrible about yourself. Rather, it is meant to help you put what is not serving you into perspective. When you are aware of the aspects of your design that are not you, you can have experiences with the world without needing to analyze it or try to make sense of everything that happens. You can appreciate the distinction for what it is—a distinction.
Simply put, nothing in Human Design is as simple as good or bad. Everything is a part of you and your experience living your design.
Dealing With Your Not Self Thoughts Without Feeling Disempowered and Depressed
So you’re frustrated, bitter, or angry. Great! So what are we supposed to do with this information?
Many can feel disempowered when they learn about their not self. If the not self is evidence that we are out of alignment with our design, but we feel like we are following our strategy and authority, what does that mean?
We unavoidably transmit our own unresolved trauma, codependence, stigma, and dogma to others around us. We will keep handing them down until we make a conscious decision to adopt a different story.
In order to empower people on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level, society would do well to impart this knowledge.
Human Design is not a magic wand that you wave and everything in your life is perfect. Perfect does not exist and our pursuit of perfection leads us to believe that we are doing something wrong when we can not achieve perfection. Life is full of moments that are both beautiful and tragic. Happy and sad. Success and failure. These moments are what define the human experience, and even if you live your design to the letter, you will still experience moments of what we socially define as bad.
We are shut off from complexity and our emotional integrity by the concept of good, and bad. Without a doubt, the human brain loves simplicity. And any time we can make an idea easier to understand by simplifying it, that is a good thing.
Signatures and not self themes are a collection of emotions and actions, not just the emotion of satisfaction/frustration, success/bitterness, anger/peace, and disappointment/surprise. On any given day we may experience all of these emotions but when we are experiencing our not-theme consistently is when we need to tune into our design and evaluate our experiences.
How To Use Your Human Design Signatures And Not Self Themes To Improve Your Life
The not self themes are helpful concepts that can be incredibly beneficial to our lives. This is particularly true once we put any judgment aside. And allow ourselves to be receptive to the magnificent (and complex) wisdom we can discover within them.
We can use our signatures and not self themes as hints to go within and figure out what’s going on. They are a navigation tool. They do not serve as evidence or proof of anything.
We can even discover ourselves by embracing our “negative” feelings and being fully committed to experiencing the discomfort involved in conquering our challenges. Frustration, anger, bitterness, or disappointment are clues that we are experiencing our lives rather than passively living. Your not-self theme might be an alert that you are wasting your energy being tied up in your social conditioning, and you need to take a moment to reflect and reevaluate.
Your not self theme showcases where to start looking within and indicates when it is time to make a different, greater, or more courageous decision.
If you want to learn more about not self themes and how to fully experience your Human Design signature, visit our Quantum Human Design School here
Note: The names in brackets above are the Quantum Human Design (QHD) names for the Types and Profiles. QHD helps us to reframe the ‘Not Self’ or conditioned self shown in Human Design to explore the potential of the deconditioned self and to live more in alignment with our inner truth.
Curious about the difference between Human Design and Quantum Human Design? Karen Curry Parker explains it in this video:
If this has inspired you to want to know more about how to live your Quantum Human Design, click here
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