Detachment means separating yourself emotionally from a situation so you can think more clearly about it. When you practice detachment, you step back from your immediate feelings to see things more objectively. A referee needs detachment to make fair calls even when the crowd is cheering loudly for one team. A scientist uses detachment to evaluate results honestly, even when they contradict her favorite theory.

Detachment can also mean trying to see things as they really are, even when that's uncomfortable. When your best friend makes a mistake, detachment helps you give honest advice instead of automatically agreeing with everything they say. When you lose a game, detachment helps you learn from what went wrong instead of dwelling only on feeling upset.

The word can also refer to physical separation. A military detachment is a group of soldiers sent away from the main force for a specific mission. In this sense, they’ve been detached from the larger unit.

People who show too much detachment might seem cold or uncaring, while people who show too little might make poor decisions because their emotions cloud their judgment. Finding the right balance takes practice, and learning some detachment can help you become wiser and fairer in how you approach problems.