For the scholar, however, careful study of the evidence is a must. One cannot hope to gain a scholarly view of Mozart's life without first analyzing all the possible theories. As for myself, while I confess to having a fascination with myths and legends, I also have an overriding need to come as close to the truth as possible. I like to know historical figures for who they actually were, both the good and the bad points, and while the myth is what initially captures my attention, it is the dissection of that myth that holds me to the subject. We live in a world with so few ideals that I can't say we should discount any of them, questionable though they may be, for sometimes the ideal is better for individuals that the truth.
Mystery makes people happy.
In order to know the truth, it is necessary to sort and weigh the evidence as Stafford did, and perhaps even more so. Stafford's conclusions are not exactly definite, and more research would be needed to make them definite. More than likely, it would be impossible to reach any positively correct conclusions on the parts of Mozart's life discussed in Stafford's book, because much relevant information has been lost or contaminated in some way. If we did not want to look at Mozart's life historically, but rather keep him as a fairy-tale figure in our minds, it would be appropriate to accept the Mozart myths. People with these desires could possibly have invented the myths.