Page "Xunzi" Paragraph 25

Because the mind of the plucker in this ode is divided between her task at hand and the love she has for a man in the ranks of Zhou, she cannot complete the simple task of filling her basket.

Xunzi warns against falling into obsession in this chapter.

When one is subject to obsession, it means that they are focusing so intently on a certain thing ( Xunzi claims that Mozi focused too much on utility, while Zhuangzi focused too heavily on Nature, for example ) their minds will not be able to absorb any new information outside of the realm of their obsession.

Their minds are thus divided in the sense of there being a wall too tall to see over in their head separating the obsession from everything else.

Obsession, as argued by Xunzi, is so strong that the ineptitude it causes can lead to one's death without them even knowing it.

Examples of people who fell into such obsessions include rulers who neglected their duties at the hands of an obsession ( for a particular concubine, for example ) and thus fell into discord with their people, and usurpers of the throne who also met their end because of their obsession with gaining power.