What’s the Difference between Generators and Manifesting Generators in Human Design?
Are they the same type?
When you first come to Human Design, you likely first learn your type. The majority of people, 70% of the population, are Generators. This includes pure Generators and Manifesting Generators.
Generators (including Manifesting Generators) are society’s builders, creators, helpers, and uplifters.
While there are differences between pure Generators and Manifesting Generators, they are both here to do work they love. They can find themselves through their work: whether it’s building a business, creating a family, or helping someone else realize their dreams.
How are Manifesting Generators and Generators the same?
Both Manifesting Generators and pure Generators have:
- a defined sacral center (colored in on a chart)
- the same strategy (to respond)
- the same aura (an open and enveloping energy)
- the same energetic signature (satisfaction)
- the same not-self theme (frustration)
What does it mean to have a defined sacral center in Human Design?
Only Generators, including Manifesting Generators, can have a defined sacral center in Human Design. It’s what gives them consistent energy throughout the day unlike the non-sacral types (Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifestors).
Having this internal motor and vitality makes it easy for them to work, parent, and create all day long. Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators are designed to use up all their energy throughout the day, ideally in satisfying ways, so they can drop into bed at night, sleep well, and wake up energized for a new day. The creative, life-force energy of the sacral center naturally regenerates itself overnight.
What is the Generator strategy in Human Design?
Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators have the same strategy “to respond.” This means that their powerhouse energy works best when it’s receptive to life rather than exerting to make things happen.
Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators are here to respond constantly to their world and trust that life will show up for them. Their “open and enveloping” aura helps draw people and opportunities to them.
When something or someone shows up in their environment or online, their gut response will signal to them in their body whether it’s a yes, no, or not yet. Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators need to pay attention to their full-bodied yeses and follow their gut impulses moment by moment.
What is the signature and not-self theme of Generators?
When Manifesting Generators and pure Generators trust their gut feeling and follow its pull, even if they don’t know where it will take them, then they’ll experience more satisfaction which is their energetic signature.
Satisfaction is a tell-tale sign that they’re on the right track.
On the other hand, when they try to initiate or do things they don’t want to do, they’ll experience frustration, their not-self theme.
Frustration is a signal that they’re not following their strategy.
Generators’ gut response is always signaling the correct places to commit their energy. When they don’t listen to it, they can feel frustrated. Manifesting Generators may also experience anger in addition to frustration.
What is the difference between pure Generators and Manifesting Generators?
Pure Generators have no connection (through a channel or channels) between a motor center and the throat center. Manifesting Generators have a connection, either directly or indirectly, between a motor center and the throat center. All Manifesting Generators have a defined throat center.
The motor centers are:
- solar plexus (emotional) center
- sacral center
- heart (ego) center
- root center
Here’s the chart of a Manifesting Generator with a connection between their sacral center (a motor center) and their throat center. The sacral center (circled in brown) is directly connected to the throat center (circled in pink) by the 20–34 channel.
Here’s an example of a pure Generator who has three defined motor centers (all circled in pink) and a defined throat center (circled in brown) but no connection between them.
Without a connection between a motor center and the throat, pure Generators may not be as quick to bring their ideas to life as Manifesting Generators.
This doesn’t mean that pure Generators can’t “manifest” (aka accomplish their goals) but it requires more of a step-by-step process than a quantum leap to the manifestation. Manifesting Generators often skip steps to accomplish their goals and have quicker energy than pure Generators.
Manifesting Generators also can have an edgier feel to them than pure Generators, who typically feel more embracing to be around.
Also, Manifesting Generators are designed to pivot and can change directions quickly whereas pure Generators have a more steadfast energy.
Are pure Generators and Manifesting Generators the same type?
According to traditional Human Design, which originates from a man named Ra Uru Hu, there are four types:
- Generators (70% of the population)
- Projectors
- Manifestors
- Reflectors
In the original teachings of Ra Uru Hu, Manifesting Generators are a variation of the Generator type, not a separate type.
However, after the death of Human Design’s founder in 2011, some of his students and newer waves of Human Design teachings split up Generators and Manifesting Generators as distinct types. The word “pure” was dropped from pure Generators. Now instead of four types, there are five types:
- Generators (37% of the population)
- Manifesting Generators (33% of the population)
- Projectors
- Manifestors
- Reflectors
The reasoning for this is that the differences between pure Generators and Manifesting Generators are considerable enough to designate them into separate types. Approaching them as different types also makes things easier to understand at the entry-level. Human Design is pretty confusing to the layperson!
Unfortunately, the zeitgeist of division has trickled down to Human Design between those who espouse the original teachings of Ra Uru Hu—considered “source” Human Design—with those who make it more applicable to the general public, considered “pop” Human Design.
From my Projector perspective, this source vs. pop false dichotomy has created an us vs. them mentality with all the trappings of righteousness and online attacks that we associate with our political landscape or other ideological debates. It doesn’t feel healthy. It’s just Human Design, people!
So in answering the question: Are Generators and Manifesting Generators the same type? It depends on who you ask.
I have studied both Ra’s original material as well as with a popular teacher. I have an undefined ajna center, meaning I am designed to be open-minded, and can hold multiple perspectives at once:
Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators are one type and can be separated into two types. Both/and.
Hi, I’m Ana! I do Human Design readings to help people make better love, career, and life decisions for themselves. Book a 1:1 reading with me.
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