Yesterday I laid the ground rules for mysteries and why they have played such a huge role in the development of our society.
Note how I say ‘huge’ rather than important or vital.
Are these mysteries a good thing for survival? Better yet: is this incessant hunt for the unknowable a human-only trait? Did we evolve this love of mystery?
The general argument goes like this: we like to see patterns. We attribute cause to every effect. We like to believe that there’s something more to life than just 80 years of humdrum mundanity followed by death and burial and rigor mortis. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know if animals and plants feel the same way, but it’s often stated that only humans ponder the existence of an after-life (though who knows if this is true…) So it’s something in the brain — our brain — that sets us apart from the rest of them. We must’ve evolved that functionality, or been given it by our Creator — whatever, I’m not going to get into a theological discussion here.
The point is, at some point in time, we grew to love mystery. Like, seriously adore. You can look at certain times in history when almost everything in your day-to-day life was ritual. Wake up; pray. Hunt; pray. Eat; pray. Old wives’ tales. Turning three times widdershins before crossing a cursed threshold. Naming of children. Gods! Astrology! It’s all attributing cause to effect.
I sometimes wonder if people realise how feeble it is to be nothing but a pawn of the universe. You are merely the result of billions of random-chance-and-cause-unknown effects. Only, wait a second, the cause isn’t unknown! It’s the god of war! Of the hunt! Wine! The Israelites — God!
But, hang on, we’re not all mystery junkies. There are some people that hate the idea of mystery. They’re called ‘scientists’.
And that’s the bit I don’t get. There are people that can only sleep at night knowing that God is looking over them, that Jesus makes their miserable, sinful life bearable — and then there are those that are the complete opposite. There are people that find the idea of spirituality or immortality repulsive: ‘that which can not be proven does not exist, so why give such concepts such credence?’
Are these scientists, these doubters-of-mysterious-coincidence, an evolutionary creation? Are they relatively new — the last few thousand years or so — or have there always been questioning, discerning doubters since the dawn of time? Was fire really stolen from the gods, or did Ug the Caveman create it through trial and error? Throughout history there have always been a few that question their surroundings. Rarely are their voices heard — usually only for a split, blood-curdling second before the guillotine drops or the tinder is lit. In fact, today and for the first time in history, scientists seem to finally have gained more respect and gravitas than theologians. Thank God.
The sad bit is that mystery, or at least those that ‘believe’ in mystery, far outweighs the truth, the cause-seeker, the scientists. The vast majority believe in the omnipresence and omnipotence of God or gods. On top of that there a lot of people that are apathetic to the discovery of knowledge and truth. It seems to me that ‘mystery junky’ is the dominant genetic trait. Maybe we can genetically engineer our DNA to remove such a trait…
Ed Adams
Oct 6, 2009
Your writing is superb, your thinking is creative, and your use of a pic from x-files was most excellent.
sebastian
Oct 6, 2009
Finding the right picture has become one of my favourite daily activities
I’m surprised more people did not comment on the fresco of Michelangelo’s from the Sistine Chapel yesterday…
Thank you, Ed.
timoteo
Oct 6, 2009
I think there is a definite trend in logical thinking with the advancement of science. As someone who spent a lot of time in the hard sciences in college I find a lot of this mysticism disconcerting. I’m not against religion in anyway, there is definitely some good and bad aspects within it, and the same goes for science. I definitely think mystery is within our nature, and my hope is that science find a solid voice in this cacophony of beliefs.
I also find it interesting as to when something bad happens, we place the blame solely within ourselves. When something great happens we take the credit out of our hands and call it destiny or a miracle or we praise god. Very rarely do we assert that WE did something great…
Melissa
Oct 6, 2009
You’re missing a key point here, though: Mystery is FUN! I know, we probably mean totally different kinds of mystery, and I’m probably side-stepping your whole point, but curiosity is a deeply rooted human trait, and it’s enticing to think there is still more to learn about!
Mr. Apron
Oct 6, 2009
Sebastian– there isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t rather look at Gillian Anderson than sodding Michaelangelo’s old bollocks.
Well, there isn’t a straight man, at any rate.
Chase
Oct 7, 2009
The sad truth of the matter is in your last stanza…
There are a lot of people completely apathetic to the pursuit of Truth. Sadly these outweigh the small few who actually do want to pursue Truth – whether through Science or through God. I personally believe science doesn’t conflict with God, and so I am all for the pursuit of Truth in any and all capacity.
Slothfulness in such pursuits, though: we have the sub-par education system and the Churches to thank for that one.