detachment
dih-TATCH-munt
/dɪˈtætʃmənt/
The state of being objective, dispassionate, or emotionally unattached to outcomes.
In Eastern philosophy, detachment is not cold indifference or apathy, but freedom from obsessive grasping.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'destacher', untying or unfastening a stake or pin. It originally referred to unhitching horses or unfastening military units before entering psychological and spiritual philosophy.
Word relationships
- dispassion: Dispassion stresses freedom from emotional bias or passion, whereas detachment stresses lack of personal entanglement.
- indifference: Indifference carries a negative connotation of uncaring apathy, whereas detachment can be wise and compassionate.
- attachment: Attachment implies clinginess or emotional dependence on outcomes.
- obsession: Obsession involves total mental preoccupation.
Commonly confused with
- apathy: Apathy is lack of care or feeling; detachment is freedom from clingy possessiveness while still caring.
Word family
- detach (verb): To unfasten or disconnect
- detached (adjective): Objective or emotionally removed
Collocations
- noble detachment
- emotional detachment
- cultivate detachment
- scholarly detachment
Idioms & expressions
- hold with a loose grip
Example sentences
- "Practicing emotional detachment allows one to respond to crisis with calm clarity." Eastern Ethics
- "A healthy psychological detachment from work prevents burnout during tense projects." Psychology
Memory hook
DE-ATTACH = un-hooking your mind from stressful outcomes. Unhook from the outcome.
When not to use
Do not confuse with medical/physical detachment (e.g. retinal detachment) when writing philosophical prose.
Fun facts
- In military usage, a 'detachment' is a unit sent away on a special mission—literally detached from the main body.
Related words
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