Definition
Emotion is a felt mental state — such as desire, fear, enthusiasm, or hope — that arises in response to thoughts and circumstances and shapes how a person acts. Emotions are not separate from achievement; they are the energy behind it. A thought without feeling is inert, while a thought charged with emotion compels behavior.
In the psychology of success, emotions are often grouped into those that build and those that limit. Building emotions like desire, faith, and enthusiasm push a person toward goals; limiting emotions like fear, doubt, and resentment hold them back.
Why it matters
How it works
Emotions can be influenced by what the mind dwells on. Repeatedly entertaining a constructive thought tends to raise the matching feeling, while repeatedly rehearsing a fear strengthens it. Practices such as autosuggestion and vivid visualization work precisely because they pair a chosen idea with deliberate emotion, so the desired feeling becomes habitual. The aim is not to eliminate emotion but to fill the inner space with building emotions so there is less room for limiting ones.