--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed…" description: "\"For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation, not the other way around, and when you listened to one of his stories, you'd find yourself perf..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/tim-o-brien-1818_facts_for-rat-kiley-i-think-facts-were-formed_743785.png" --- # For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation… ![“For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation, not the other way around, and when you listened to one of his stories, you'd find yourself performing rapid calculations in your head, subtracting superlatives, figuring the square root of an absolute and then multiplying by maybe.” quote by Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/tim-o-brien-1818_facts_for-rat-kiley-i-think-facts-were-formed_743785.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/tim-o-brien-1818_facts_for-rat-kiley-i-think-facts-were-formed_743785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/tim-o-brien-1818_facts_for-rat-kiley-i-think-facts-were-formed_743785.png) > “For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation, not the other way around, and when you listened to one of his stories, you'd find yourself performing rapid calculations in your head, subtracting superlatives, figuring the square root of an absolute and then multiplying by maybe.” [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories shape perception; sensory experience informs facts, not the reverse, prompting mental calculations. **In simple terms:** Our understanding comes from what we experience, not just data. Key Takeaway Focus on lived experience to inform decisions. Themes storytelling perception cognition reality Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - war narratives - journalistic reporting - personal anecdotes Key Concepts constructivism epistemology mental math Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance feeling with reasoning? - When might facts precede sensation? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can hinder intuitive insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Square roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/square-roots/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“He wanted to heat up the truth, to make it burn so hot that you would feel exactly what he felt. For Rat Kiley,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/he-wanted-to-heat-up-the-truth-to-make-it-burn-so-hot-that-you-would/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [I'll picture Rat Kiley face, his grief, and I'll think, You dumb cooze. Because she wasn't listening. It wasn't a war story. 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