When something happens and you can’t quite figure out who did it, it’s natural to blame the only other person in your household. This is what one man did when the strings on his pajama pants suddenly and mysteriously started to go missing.

Not finding any logical reason, he began to suspect his prankster wife and turned to the internet for advice. He launched a full investigation into the missing strings. Readers threw out a wild selection of theories but were all proven wrong when OP later shared a surprising update about the real culprit.

Things mysteriously going missing in your home is rarely a good sign

Image credits: nd3000 (not the actual photo)

A man turned to the internet for advice when he started to suspect his wife was stealing his pajama strings

Trying to uncover something unknown is deeply stimulating for our brains

We as humans love a good mystery story. Way back before there were shared universes and every bit of media was twisted into a long-running series, detective stories were all the rage. Both Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have extensive libraries of work, all dedicated to solving mysteries.

While the idea of a detective story often conjures up images of grisly crimes, blood, and dangerous murderers, this doesn’t always have to be the case. OP’s story is a great demonstration that mysteries can stimulate our brains without a dead body and smoking gun. Particularly when there isn’t some obvious answer at hand.

The idea of a detective story often conjures up images of the legendary Sherlock Holmes, or perhaps Miss Marple, who have a degree of intuition, logical reasoning, and knowledge that lets them see all the details we as mere mortals miss. However, an actual analysis of their strategies reveals that “detectives,” however we might define that term, come in all shapes and sizes.

Image credits: JESHOOTS.com (not the actual photo)

Certain stories have cemented our idea of what a detective looks like

Sherlock Holmes is the quintessential “logical” detective, with a nose (and eyes) for details. Indeed, he is so obsessed that some psychologists have suggested that the character possesses multiple indicators of autism, given how single-minded he is, as well as his photographic memory.

Part of the thrill of any mystery story is the reader attempting to piece together the puzzle before the characters. It’s rare that it actually happens, given the fact that both “parties” receive information at the same time. But it’s about the journey, not the destination. Our brains love rolling around in puzzles, trying to figure out how different details connect to each other and more.

In some ways, the parts of your brain that are stimulated by putting together a jigsaw puzzle are the same as the ones that, for example, enjoy the “Knives Out” movie series. There is a satisfying feedback loop where we develop a theory, test it against information, and then feel smart when we are proven to be right.

Image credits: August de Richelieu (not the actual photo)

We truly hate an unsolved mystery

If we really take this concept to the extreme, even TV shows like “House” (referring to the antisocial doctor, not a building) use this to their advantage. We, as the audience, are trying to piece together what happened to this patient, what they are lying about, and what will actually solve the problem. Mysteries tend to only feel good when there is a payoff, although there is a sizable amount of media based on just titillating us without ever explaining, i.e. the entire cosmic horror genre.

However, OP’s tale was, in some ways, more interesting. On the one hand, the stakes were comically small, but on the other, the cause of the strings disappearing was also pretty unclear. The comments section had a field day speculating and attempting to figure out the correct answer. And in case you were worried that this would remain an unsolved mystery, fear not. OP shared a surprising and hilarious update later, which you can read below.

The comments section was rife with theories and speculation

OP started investigating based on the comments

And realized that perhaps he had the wrong initial suspect

OP shared that it had been the cat all along

Image credits: sethborf

Image credits: Kristina Yadykina (not the actual photo)

Readers enjoyed the twist

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