"Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing"
About this Quote
As an athlete, Cahill’s angle reads less like armchair philosophy and more like a defense of what makes sport - and public life - feel alive. The best games run on uncertainty: the late deflection, the unexplained momentum shift, the private calculus inside a player who suddenly chooses risk over safety. Mystery is part of the fuel. Strip it away with total surveillance, analytics-as-script, and nonstop access, and you don’t just learn more; you convert suspense into data and spontaneity into content.
The phrase "its preservation is a fine thing" sounds almost old-fashioned on purpose, like conservation talk. Subtext: some forms of restraint are cultural intelligence. Not every question deserves an answer, not every person should be fully knowable, not every story needs a postgame breakdown. Mystery isn’t ignorance; it’s the remaining space where awe, strategy, and reinvention can still happen.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cahill, Tim. (2026, January 17). Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mystery-is-a-resource-like-coal-or-gold-and-its-74134/
Chicago Style
Cahill, Tim. "Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mystery-is-a-resource-like-coal-or-gold-and-its-74134/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/mystery-is-a-resource-like-coal-or-gold-and-its-74134/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







