Chapter 2: Mystery and Meaning: Ambiguity and the Perception of Leaders, Heroes, and Villains

In Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dr Mortimer reads aloud the lengthy manuscript describing the huge canine that years before had ripped out the throat of Sir Hugo Baskerville at the conclusion of a night of debauchery. The manuscript was written by one of Sir Hugo’s descendants as a warning about the curse that still seems to haunt the clan. It concludes “Such is the tale, my sons, of the coming of the hound which is said to have plagued the family so sorely ever since. If I have set it down it is because that which is clearly known hath less terror than that which is but hinted at and guessed” (Doyle, 1901, italics added). This passage is but one of many in fiction that seem to illustrate that the unknown or partially revealed can be terrifying. Often they suggest villainy. But not always. We wish to argue here that depending on context, mystery can arouse either thoughts of frightening danger and villains, or positive, hopeful expectations and images of wonder, awe, and heroic leadership. We will explore theory and research on the cognitive and motivational elements that combine with mystery to make meaning, often resulting in cognitive constructions of heroes or villains, security or threat, and good or evil.