--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Power is the ability to make change." description: "\"Power is the ability to make change.\" — Geneva Overholser" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg" --- # Power is the ability to make change. ![“Power is the ability to make change.” quote by Geneva Overholser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg) > “Power is the ability to make change.” [Geneva Overholser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power is defined as the capacity to enact transformation in systems or individuals. **In simple terms:** Power means being able to cause change. Key Takeaway Use influence responsibly to create positive change. Themes authority influence change responsibility Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political leadership - organizational management - social activism Key Concepts political science leadership ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your power benefits others? - What safeguards prevent misuse? A Different Perspective Power can be abused if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Make Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-change/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-ability-291117/) ## Related quotes > [“the true test of awesome power is the ability not to use it,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-l-chalker/the-true-test-of-awesome-power-is-the-ability-not-to-use-it/) [Jack L. Chalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-l-chalker/) > [“You must not allow the hurt of the past to haunt or hinder you from fulfilling and performing your duties as one who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-must-not-allow-the-hurt-of-the-past-to-haunt-or-hinder-you-from/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [POWER: The ability to make our fellow humans squirm, sweat and stammer on command. Often regarded as an aphrodisiac; actually a potent laxative that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bayan/power-the-ability-to-make-our-fellow-humans-squirm-sweat-and-stammer/) [Rick Bayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bayan/) > [Personal power is the ability to enter into different planes of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/personal-power-is-the-ability-to-enter-into-different-planes-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Power: The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunter/power-the-ability-to-force-or-coerce-someone-to-do-your-will-even-if/) [James Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunter/) > [Personal power is the ability to take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/personal-power-is-the-ability-to-take-action/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Power is the ability to afford not to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-deutsch/power-is-the-ability-to-afford-not-to-learn/) [Karl Deutsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-deutsch/) > [If I could have one super power, it would be the ability to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-kimmel/if-i-could-have-one-super-power-it-would-be-the-ability-to-read/) [Jimmy Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-kimmel/) > [“Real power is basically the ability to change something if you want to change it. It’s the ability to make change happen. Real power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/real-power-is-basically-the-ability-to-change-something-if-you-want/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Real power has to do with one's ability to influence the hearts and minds of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/real-power-has-to-do-with-one-s-ability-to-influence-the-hearts-and/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Power is the ability to get things done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosabeth-moss-kanter/power-is-the-ability-to-get-things-done/) [Rosabeth Moss Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosabeth-moss-kanter/) > [Power is the ability not to have to please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/power-is-the-ability-not-to-have-to-please/) [Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/) > [“Psychic power is the ability to download information directly from the Universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lada-ray/psychic-power-is-the-ability-to-download-information-directly-from/) [Lada Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lada-ray/) > [Power is the ability to define reality and to have other people respond to your definition as if it were their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-wade-noble/power-is-the-ability-to-define-reality-and-to-have-other-people/) [Dr Wade Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-wade-noble/) > [The qualities and capacities that are important in running-such factors as will power, the ability to apply effort during extreme fatigue and the acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fixx/the-qualities-and-capacities-that-are-important-in-running-such/) [Jim Fixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fixx/) ## More by Geneva Overholser > [Let's start with some of the reasons that the press holds its tongue and some of the things that you don't know because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/let-s-start-with-some-of-the-reasons-that-the-press-holds-its-tongue/) [Geneva Overholser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/) > [And all of you, all your lives, should be telling those of us in the media leadership positions to tell the whole truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/and-all-of-you-all-your-lives-should-be-telling-those-of-us-in-the/) [Geneva Overholser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/) > [We suffer from a terrible poverty of civic discourse in this country. Surely, it is outside of America's best traditions to send the signal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/we-suffer-from-a-terrible-poverty-of-civic-discourse-in-this-country/) [Geneva Overholser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/) [Explore all 4 Geneva Overholser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Power is the ability to make change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Geneva Overholser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/power-is-the-ability-to-make-change/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/power-is-the-ability-to-make-change/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/geneva-overholser-65833_ability_power-is-the-ability-to-make-change-1490_1490309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Power is the ability to make change.” — Geneva Overholser", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Geneva Overholser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneva-overholser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Power is the ability to make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/power-is-the-ability-to-make-change/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneva-overholser/power-is-the-ability-to-make-change/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```