Step 1: Pair up the numbers from the outside in, the smallest with the largest, and the two middle numbers together. Here, pair 2 with 8, and pair 4 with 6.
Step 2: Average each pair separately: \( \frac{2+8}{2} = 5 \) and \( \frac{4+6}{2} = 5 \).
Step 3: Since both pairs give the same average, this common value is also the mean of the entire set, because the numbers are evenly spaced with a common difference of 2.
\[ \boxed{\text{Mean} = 5} \]