--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He didn't know why he was poking holes…" description: "\"“He didn't know why he was poking holes anyway. It was just that, with what he'd been through, any old coincidence had started to smell like a conspira..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/david-jacob-knight-35948_coincidence_he-didn-t-know-why-he-was-poking-holes-a_387856.jpg" --- # He didn't know why he was poking holes anyway. It was just… ![“He didn't know why he was poking holes anyway. It was just that, with what he'd been through, any old coincidence had started to smell like a conspiracy.” quote by David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/david-jacob-knight-35948_coincidence_he-didn-t-know-why-he-was-poking-holes-a_387856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/david-jacob-knight-35948_coincidence_he-didn-t-know-why-he-was-poking-holes-a_387856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/david-jacob-knight-35948_coincidence_he-didn-t-know-why-he-was-poking-holes-a_387856.jpg) > ““He didn't know why he was poking holes anyway. It was just that, with what he'd been through, any old coincidence had started to smell like a conspiracy.”” [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character’s trauma makes him see patterns and conspiracies in random events, reflecting paranoia born from past suffering. **In simple terms:** Trauma can turn coincidences into conspiracies. Key Takeaway Question past pain before assuming hidden motives. Themes paranoia trauma perception Mood anxious reflective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - investigations - stressful environments - mental health counseling Key Concepts psychology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does past trauma shape current interpretations? - When is suspicion helpful versus harmful? A Different Perspective Over‑attributing meaning can damage trust and decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coincidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coincidence/) [Conspiracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conspiracy/) ## Related quotes > [It's only by coincidence I started working with my father - all because of King Abdullah's decision not to grant my promotion. 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Ben wished, as he wished when he was a child, that he could be out there in the fields running free and far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/ben-wished-as-he-wished-when-he-was-a-child-that-he-could-be-out/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“That's how they work, though. They don't try to convince you of anything. They make you doubt what you know. Make you jump to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/that-s-how-they-work-though-they-don-t-try-to-convince-you-of/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“He was a pen, and the ink just flowed through him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/he-was-a-pen-and-the-ink-just-flowed-through-him/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“Ben chuffed and continued to stare into the mirror. It was crazy, treating himself this way just to finish a book. 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He believed that writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/where-do-you-get-your-stories-the-interviewer-asked-it-was-a-typical/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“The problem with true evil is that the normal human mind cannot properly fathom it," Randy said, making Ben drop one of the books;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/the-problem-with-true-evil-is-that-the-normal-human-mind-cannot/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“The agent sighed. „Mr. Little, do you know why horror novels usually revolve around the protagonist and his family?“ Ben didn't encourage him. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/the-agent-sighed-mr-little-do-you-know-why-horror-novels-usually/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [“A car pulled into the driveway. 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It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“Coincidence is the exception, not the rule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/coincidence-is-the-exception-not-the-rule/) [Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/) > [Is it a coincidence that stories from the private life became more popular just as the grand hope for public redemption through revolution was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/is-it-a-coincidence-that-stories-from-the-private-life-became-more/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [It was an odd coincidence that my career took off the same decade as having babies. 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Coincidence is the perfect texture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-geary/every-emotion-in-the-world-wishes-to-be-expressed-every-task-desires/) [Patricia Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-geary/) > [It's not coincidence that these attacks come at the exact same moment, and all together at the same time as WikiLeaks releases documents exposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/it-s-not-coincidence-that-these-attacks-come-at-the-exact-same-moment/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“You wonder if that really constitutes being ‘a coincidence’ but don’t press her on the issue, instead sticking your hand down your pocket to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-kerkhoven/you-wonder-if-that-really-constitutes-being-a-coincidence-but-don-t/) Rudolf Kerkhoven > [A thrumming of piano-strings beyond the gardens and through the elms. At length the melody steals into my being. 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And how can one ever be certain?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-ostlere/we-cannot-see-how-our-lives-will-unfold-what-is-destiny-and-what-is/) [Cathy Ostlere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-ostlere/) > [When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-live-your-life-with-an-appreciation-of-coincidences-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s amazing how many coincidences occur when one begins to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/it-s-amazing-how-many-coincidences-occur-when-one-begins-to-pray/) [Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/) > [“Premonitions are coincidences waiting to happen,” he said, without looking up. “I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/premonitions-are-coincidences-waiting-to-happen-he-said-without/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“A friend of mine once said that she didn't believe in coincidence, that it was God working in her life, not a coincidence every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cameron/a-friend-of-mine-once-said-that-she-didn-t-believe-in-coincidence/) [Barbara Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cameron/) > [Some people suggested that I should try something else. 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