# Commentary 7: attention and emotion: summary

Examines how anger, fear, preference and worry distort attention and understanding.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/great-learning/chapter-08-commentary-7-attention-and-emotion

## Source and summary

[Zhu Xi’s Great Learning chapters · Commentary 7: attention and emotion](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%9B%9B%E6%9B%B8%E7%AB%A0%E5%8F%A5%E9%9B%86%E8%A8%BB/%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%B8%E7%AB%A0%E5%8F%A5&oldid=2647788)

> 所謂脩身在正其心者：身有所忿懥，則不得其正。有所恐懼，則不得其正。有所好樂，則不得其正。有所憂患，則不得其正。心不在焉，視而不見，聽而不聞，食而不知其味。此謂脩身在正其心。

Examines how anger, fear, preference and worry distort attention and understanding.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

For an emotionally charged case, separate facts from evaluation and ask another owner to inspect the criteria.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using commentary 7: attention and emotion, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[The Great Learning: purpose and practice](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/great-learning)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/great-learning/chapter-08-commentary-7-attention-and-emotion.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0