One form of detachment is the ability to remain neutral and centered within chaos - not getting caught up in the dramas that others may be creating, but rather being calm and aware; knowing when to interject, when to remain silent, and when to simply walk away.
Sometimes this can be perceived as being cold, indifferent, snooty or non-supportive when in actuality, it is only when we're able to detach ourselves from the emotional dramas of others that we're able to see clearly what is most needed at that moment and then can assist in helping to defuse or improve the situation.
We're more likely to get caught up in other people's dramas if we haven't dealt with our own junk. To master detachment, we've got to strengthen our own inner peace and to do so, we've got to resolve our own issues otherwise we're more likely to feed off of or intensify the dramas happening around us.
It reminds me of the show, The Dog Whisperer where Cesar Millan is always talking about how dogs with pent-up energy can feed off other unstable dogs and become aggressive and out-of-control. We're not much different in this regard. When we don't have much going on in our lives we tend to complain more, play victim to our circumstances, allow our minds to run the show and focus our attention on what everyone else is doing. Yet, think about when you're exhausted after a long day's work. The last thing you want to do is get involved in any type of theatrics because quite frankly, you just don't have the energy.
So by dealing with our own stuff - exercising regularly, eating well, taking time to play and getting plenty of rest, we become more peaceful and balanced.
Simply put, detachment is the ability to remain neutral.
Neutrality is actually a very high state-of-being. It doesn't mean we don't care. It means we are consciously aware of our own precious energy and aren't willing to use it to escalate or feed turmoil, gossip, stories of victimhood or unhealthy scenarios.
Detachment is not about separating ourselves from life, but being responsible with our energy by knowing what our involvement in any given circumstance will fuel. It's about caring for ourselves and allowing others the freedom to do the same.