Why this term exists
Pure concentration is not always optimal. Different processes may need time, spacing, translation or controlled slip before they can align. Detraction names productive stretching rather than mere loss.
Definition in the system
Detraction preserves connection while allowing difference to remain difference. It can introduce context, texture, delay or spatial separation without automatically turning the relation into noise.
A useful mechanical analogy is a wet clutch: transfer continues while controlled slip allows two flows to approach synchronization. Too little slip produces shock; enough slip allows alignment; too much slip wastes transfer and can dissolve the connection.
The critical question is therefore not whether a relation stretches, but how far it can stretch while still carrying meaning and preserving coherence.
Example
A metaphor can extend contact with an idea long enough for the reader to absorb it. If the metaphor expands past the load-bearing relation, it becomes decorative noise.