A World Without Mystery
Why are we drawn to mysteries?
Mystery isn't by any means the most popular genre in any medium at the moment, but it's managed to keep a steady fan base. As readers, watchers, listeners, and players, we're fascinated with why and how people do what they do. We enjoy the puzzle of figuring out what happened, and how, and why? We demand answers to these questions, we imagine solutions that organize chaos, and we strive to understand people. I would argue that this mindset of asking questions, this "mystery mindset" has an under-appreciated value in our daily lives.
Historically speaking, we live in a world without much mystery-- advances in science, medicine, and technology have answered most of our ancestors' questions. We've explored most of the previously unmapped corners of the world. We're constantly bombarded with opinions claiming to be fact, or accusations that facts are fabricated for ulterior motives. We've all become defensive not only of our beliefs, but of our knowledge, or lack thereof, on any given topic regardless of its significance. With the availability of information, have we lost the willingness to admit we don't know something? We live in a world where there is an abundance of information rather than a lack of it, and we're clearly suffering the consequences-- this access to unlimited facts (and fiction) has created a society where assumptions-- usually painfully unfounded ones-- rule our everyday interactions.
During my last visit to Chicago, I was on the CTA when a man entered our train and began the speech. You probably know the one. "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment? Can anyone spare some change so I can get something to eat?" Etc, etc. Now, as someone without a car I've heard this speech a thousand times, and usually it's met with awkward silence and a deliberate lack of eye contact. This time, however, the man was met with near-immediate shouts of "Fuck you," "I'm so sick of this shit," and "Get a job!" I noticed at least two specific passengers on the train participating in the appalling behavior. As infuriating as it was, I know better than to pick a fight with someone twice my size. When the man approached my seat, all I could do was apologize that people could be so horrible.
Applying a Mystery Mindset
Why do we tolerate this? Couldn't we all benefit from some everyday mystery?
With a "mystery mindset," we look at someone and imagine what their story might be. The mystery genre requires us to keep an open mind, ask questions, and most importantly put ourselves in the shoes of someone else-- be it a detective, a suspect, or even a killer. If we can adopt this mindset and put ourselves in the shoes of a killer for long enough to read a mystery novel, why can't we apply it for 5 minutes on the subway to consider that a stranger has a life story that's completely unknown?
We've all been the victim of assumptions. I've been screamed at by a homeless man for not buying him food when I only had a few dollars in my bank account and didn't know how I'd pay rent next week. I've been accused of having everything handed to me when I worked 5 jobs to supplement scholarships and loans in order to put myself through school. All because I look a certain way. We can't look at someone and know their story. We shouldn't try. Nobody should be reduced to the situation they're in at any given moment; there are an infinite number of paths that could lead them there.
I'm not asking that we abandon all of our skepticism; sadly, for many of us, it's a necessary safety precaution. I'm not asking that we take everyone at face value, because there are people who take advantage of every opportunity to extort each other. All I'm asking is that we consider the possibility that our assumptions are wrong before we scream our heads off at random strangers on public transit. All I'm asking is that we embrace a little everyday mystery.