Human Design vs Other Self-Reflection Tools

I have often asked myself since childhood, what am I here to do?

Self-awareness is a lifelong pursuit. Each person is like a puzzle piece in society, with inherent differences that set them apart from others, their own strengths and challenges, a unique purpose, encounters with people and things, and collaborations with others to contribute to society as a whole. And all of the above are not singular.

Everyone can become a completely different puzzle piece through different choices, and becoming a different puzzle piece will bring different karma to our soul. Everything is connected. This means we can choose to become a villain puzzle piece and become a villain in society to achieve the hero story of other good people, and then the karma will be recorded in our soul, allowing us to continuously learn the lessons we cannot overcome until we learn them. Therefore, only when we fully understand ourselves can we choose to become our best selves.

Self-awareness tool	Data requirement	Focus	Concrete application
Human Design	Accurate date, time, and place of birth	Personal stable and unstable energy flow	Differentiate between "self" and "non-self" energy, use stable and reliable self-strategies to make choices and decisions
Astrology	Accurate date, time, and place of birth	Use the characteristics of the 12 zodiac signs and 12 houses as a basis for personality and fortune-telling	Reflect individual personality or tendencies, as well as predicting fortune and misfortune using the characteristics and positions of the zodiac signs at birth, in the form of big data
'8 words' - Four Pillars of Destiny	Accurate date, time, and place of birth	Predict "Destiny" and "Luck" based on the five elements belonging to the celestial movement at birth	Predict using the theory of Yin and Yang and the five elements, and adjust the "luck" based on the needs and deficiencies of the "destiny"
Zi Wei Dou Shu	Accurate date, time, and place of birth	Predict fate, fortune, and misfortune based on the positions of the stars in the twelve houses at birth, using the theory of the Book of Changes and the heavenly stems and earthly branches	Predict the trend of fate using the basic horoscope chart and "major luck," then deduce the "best strategy" and direction
Dermatoglyphics Analysis	Fingerprints of ten fingers	Basic settings for innate genes, talents, and learning patterns	Use innate advantages to establish direction, while identifying weaknesses and avoiding danger
MBTI	Questionnaire	Classify 16 personality types based on 4 orientations	Use personal strengths based on the tendency of the 16 personality types Physiognomy
Face/Hand reading, etc.	Face/ Hand or whatever the reading medium is	Reflect personal status using representations, combined with past data and Traditional Chinese Medicine theory	Predict fortune and misfortune by reversing the psychological and physiological state based on personal status representations.

The Human Design System is a relatively new system, founded in 1987 by the Canadian Ra URU Hu in Ibiza, Spain. It combines ancient and seemingly unrelated knowledge from Western astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah's Tree of Life, and the Indian chakra system. However, it is not a belief system but rather a system that allows you to surrender to your own inner wisdom and live your life's purpose, which may be unexpected. It is a system that unites Eastern and Western wisdom and provides an unprecedented perspective. It can help answer questions such as, "Why do I sometimes behave this way?" "Why do I have these inner conflicts?" "What decision should I make that is right for me?" and "Why do others behave this way or that way?" These questions are incredibly practical and useful to me.

The Human Design System determines your conscious and unconscious body and mind energy blueprint, referred to as your "Human Design Chart," by analyzing the imprint of subatomic particles from the planets at the moment of your birth and the three months prior to your birth. This blueprint is unique and can be graphically represented as the Human Design Chart. It can be viewed as an instruction manual for how to use your energy in life and as a strategy to live your best life by relying on the energy that you can trust and depend on.

I will use some of the self-awareness tools and human design mentioned earlier to compare with the human design chart. It is important to note that the human design chart does not have a tendency to predict, or if it does, we are not yet aware of it. Its main purpose is in the area of self-awareness, so I will only compare it from a "self-awareness" perspective with other tools. The purpose of comparison is not to compare the superiority or inferiority of tools. On the contrary, each tool has its unique and irreplaceable qualities, and let us carefully explore their differences.

Human Design vs Astrology

Astrology and human design chart overlap in that both have a basis on the positions of the planets at the time of birth. The difference is that astrology only covers the "personality" part of the human design chart, that is, only the "self" that we think of ourselves. In terms of interpretation, the human design chart combines the positions of planets with 9 energy centers and the I Ching to explain the flow of energy.

As an example, the astrology system shapes a rough image of me and tells me what kind of "I" I am in different fields, such as my rising sign is Taurus, my Sun sign is Scorpio, my Moon sign is Aries, and my Sun falls in the 6th house, etc. Each phase can find detailed explanations, but they have brought me some confusion, not knowing whether I should have different strategies and ideas in different fields, how they relate to each other, and how I can use them, etc. Ultimately, it became just a reminder of what "value" or "shortcomings" I have as a system.

The human design incorporates elements of astrology, with each zodiac sign having approximately 5-6 gates or channels. Each gate contains 6 lines, and each line has 6 colors. Each color corresponds to 6 frequencies, which in turn have 5 core aspects. Therefore, each zodiac sign encompasses 6,480 potential variations, with each individual's design being entirely unique. Even twins will have different designs and life paths. What I particularly appreciate about human design is that it doesn't "define" any particular design. Rather, it focuses on the stability of our energy and our overall state of health. Each individual possesses their own stable and unstable energies, and every moment we are influenced by the gravitational pull of the planets and the energies of those around us. As a result, our "not-self" gates can either open up or become restricted. Thus, every person will inevitably experience the emotions and energies brought about by each gate. It's our responsibility to identify and utilize our stable and reliable energies in a healthy way, while also pinpointing the sources of our unstable energies and correctly discerning which energies to ignore and which to pay attention to.

Human Design vs Zi Wei Dou Shu

Although both Human Design and Zi Wei Dou Shu have elements of the Yi Jing, the two systems are vastly different and cannot be fully compared to each other. However, some Zi Wei Dou Shu masters have worked with me to analyze the Human Design and Zi Wei Dou Shu charts of certain individuals and found many similarities, although their essence is not entirely the same.

Zi Wei Dou Shu tends to predict the future and can provide a general direction, while Human Design is more focused on understanding one's own healthy and unhealthy states, suitable for the strategy of awareness and decision-making in each moment. The two do not conflict and can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Human Design vs MBTI

MBTI has identified me as an ENFP and the Enneagram has classified me as Type 2. Both types are known for their interpersonal skills, but they also exhibit a fear of conflict and a desire for recognition, which can create a sense of internal conflict. I struggle with this dilemma as I enjoy solitude, but fear that I cannot survive without utilizing my strengths in social settings. Consequently, I force myself into social situations, but often find that the outcomes are not satisfactory. This is due to my tendency to rely solely on my own perceptions when making decisions.

According to the Human Design system, my fear of conflict and desire for recognition are not inherent weaknesses, but rather unhealthy behaviours that manifest when I ignore my true nature. In this system, my fear of conflict arises from an unstable emotional center, which paradoxically allows me to remain calm and rational when others are highly emotional. I am able to distinguish between emotions and facts, and can make decisions based on rational analysis rather than being swayed by others' emotions. Furthermore, my desire for recognition stems from my life role, which often makes me feel like an outsider. The majority of my time is spent in solitude, but this is actually necessary for me to delve into my interests and acquire knowledge. When I do engage with the world, I am well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and wisdom to face any challenge that may arise.

I am currently embarking on the official Human Design course at the IHDS International Human Design School, where I will collect 100 Human Design charts as part of my coursework. Together, we will discuss, verify, and learn from each other.

It is my sincere hope that everyone can find themselves and fully embrace their design, loving all aspects of themselves and understanding that what they thought were imperfections are actually perfectly imperfect.