Heart/Ego — the center of willpower | Human Design

In short

What does it mean if the Heart/Ego is defined?

You know how to keep your word and see promises through to the end — your willpower is steady, and that makes you reliable when it comes to money and agreements.

What does it mean if the Heart/Ego is open?

Maybe you don't need to constantly prove your worth — your willpower isn't a constant, and rest between efforts isn't weakness, it's how you recover.

Full breakdown

The Heart/Ego governs willpower, ego, and the material world — this includes promises, self-worth, money, and business instinct.

A defined center gives you steady willpower: your promises carry real weight, and people can rely on you. But there's a trap here too — the feeling that you constantly need to prove something to others, even though the stability of your will is already there by default.

An open center means willpower isn't constant — that's normal, not a flaw. Don't work from pure ego or try to confirm your worth through every effort. A pause between projects here isn't a luxury, it's necessary recovery.