The Mystery conspiracy theory...

One thing about mysteries (books, films, etc.) worth noting is how they tamper with the DNA of our intuition. Typically, a mystery gives us subtle leads and clues and then, once we're sure that it was Col. Mustard in the Drawing Room with the Battle Axe, they go and pull the rug out from under us. It's a fun feeling, especially once you see the mystery solved (Aha! Miss Fudge in the Pool Cabana with the Lobster Fork... but of course!), but I wonder - what are the effects of these systematic derailings of instinct? Do they make us sharper? Or do these orchestrated processions of highly cinematic twists and turns actually teach us to fundamentally doubt our instinct in real life? Are we left afraid in the dark with blunted instruments - a condition that causes us to look for guidance outside of ourselves? Who could benefit from such manipulations? How do they get their skills? Cue spooky organ music...

This gets me thinking of the culture of the CIA and other secretive institutions - they thrive in, and therefore manifest, conditions and cultures where basic human logic and instinct have been jammed and folded-in upon themselves to the point of uselessness. If the people in charge of "intelligence" crave paranoia and a world where nothing is what it seems, is it because they can function well under these conditions and mastermind enormous power-grabs right under our noses?