An idea brought up in anthropologist Carlos Castaneda's books by the old shaman, Don Juan Matus. It is the notion that one observes the world in such a way that the observer can remain totally objective about the situation and choose how much emotion or reaction to exhibit. An example would be: If a dear friend of Don Juan dies, he may show signs of grief, but it is only his folly to do so. He knows it isn't necessary or compelling to act in such a way, but participates in the reactional aspect of the situation because he wants to. It's almost like an inside joke with himself, because he has such a high level of control over his emotions and feelings.