---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If this was power, why did it taste like…"
description: "\"“If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?”\" — George R.R. Martin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png"
---

#  If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?

![“If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?” quote by George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png)

> ““If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?””

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Power can be dull when it lacks excitement, questioning the allure of authority versus monotony.

**In simple terms:** Power may be boring.

Key Takeaway

Seek purpose beyond mere authority.

Themes

power monotony disillusionment

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- leadership roles
- corporate hierarchy
- political office

Key Concepts

political theory human motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes power meaningful?
- How can one avoid tedium in leadership?

A Different Perspective

Authority without engagement can lead to stagnation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Did Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-taste-1229055/) [Like Tedium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-tedium-4275141/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-did-1502525/) [Taste Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-like-233523/) [Tedium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tedium/)

## Related quotes

> [Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/every-three-weeks-we-bring-online-as-much-solar-power-as-we-did-in-2/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Power! Did you ever hear of men being asked whether other souls should have power or not? It is born in them. You may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/power-did-you-ever-hear-of-men-being-asked-whether-other-souls-should-2/)

[Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/)

> [Power! Did you ever hear of men being asked whether other souls should have power or not? It is born in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/power-did-you-ever-hear-of-men-being-asked-whether-other-souls-should/)

[Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/)

> [ “Storms. How did you describe taste? "It's like color.. you see with your mouth." \[Shallan\] grimaced.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/storms-how-did-you-describe-taste-it-s-like-color-you-see-with-your/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“She poured me a cup of coffee and I drank it standing by the back door, looking out of the back garden. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/she-poured-me-a-cup-of-coffee-and-i-drank-it-standing-by-the-back/)

[Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/)

> [“She hated Mr. Meanie. But she'd gotten to know him and they'd reached an understanding of sorts. Now she was to have him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeanne-gist/she-hated-mr-meanie-but-she-d-gotten-to-know-him-and-they-d-reached/)

[Deeanne Gist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeanne-gist/)

> [“Not only did it taste phenomenal, but for some reason it too was familiar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-claflin/not-only-did-it-taste-phenomenal-but-for-some-reason-it-too-was/)

[Stacy Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-claflin/)

> [You have to always work against what you did before, and even against your taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miuccia-prada/you-have-to-always-work-against-what-you-did-before-and-even-against/)

[Miuccia Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miuccia-prada/)

> [“If a person does five samayiks (introspective analysis by being as Self) he will say, ‘I did five’. This is how he will taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-a-person-does-five-samayiks-introspective-analysis-by-being-as/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Thank you," he whispered against my hair. "How did that taste in your mouth?" He laughed. "Awful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-west/thank-you-he-whispered-against-my-hair-how-did-that-taste-in-your/)

[Kasie West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-west/)

> [You should try them, Nick. They’re delicious. No one makes cookies that taste like this.” – Kara ‘Probably because arsenic was a key ingredient.’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-should-try-them-nick-they-re-delicious-no-one-makes-cookies-that/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“When you kiss a Mer-male, does it taste like fish?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-christian/when-you-kiss-a-mer-male-does-it-taste-like-fish/)

[Nadine Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-christian/)

> [When chickens get to live like chickens, they'll taste like chickens, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/when-chickens-get-to-live-like-chickens-they-ll-taste-like-chickens/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [People who say healthy food doesn't taste good, just don't know what real food taste like!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-say-healthy-food-doesn-t-taste-good-just-don-t-know-what/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I feel desperate when it comes to you. Desperate and a little bit insane. All I can think about around you is what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fisher-amelie/i-feel-desperate-when-it-comes-to-you-desperate-and-a-little-bit/)

[Fisher Amelie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fisher-amelie/)

## More by George R.R. Martin

> [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“You are the queen, he ought to be begging leave of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/you-are-the-queen-he-ought-to-be-begging-leave-of-you/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“It is my look they will flinch from now, my frown that they must fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/it-is-my-look-they-will-flinch-from-now-my-frown-that-they-must-fear/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“A good threat is often more telling than a blow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-good-threat-is-often-more-telling-than-a-blow/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“This wine is very choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/this-wine-is-very-choice/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Everything Syrio Forel had ever taught her vanished in a heartbeat. In that instant of sudden terror, the only lesson Arya could remember was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/everything-syrio-forel-had-ever-taught-her-vanished-in-a-heartbeat-in/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Megga couldn’t sing, but she was mad to be kissed. She and Alla played a kissing game sometimes, she confessed, but it wasn’t the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/megga-couldn-t-sing-but-she-was-mad-to-be-kissed-she-and-alla-played/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“The rain feels good against my face, Sam. It feels like tears. Let me stay a while longer, I pray you. It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-rain-feels-good-against-my-face-sam-it-feels-like-tears-let-me/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Every man who walks the earth casts a shadow on the world. Some are thin and weak, others long and dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/every-man-who-walks-the-earth-casts-a-shadow-on-the-world-some-are/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“The shy girl she had known at Riverrun had grown into a woman who was by turns proud, fearful, cruel, dreamy, reckless, timid, stubborn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-shy-girl-she-had-known-at-riverrun-had-grown-into-a-woman-who-was/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“He won the war on the battlefield and lost it in a bedchamber, poor fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/he-won-the-war-on-the-battlefield-and-lost-it-in-a-bedchamber-poor/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“On the morning after battle the crows had feasted on victors and vanquished alike. How much can a crown be worth when a crow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/on-the-morning-after-battle-the-crows-had-feasted-on-victors-and/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“The little man gave the big one a look. One of his eyes was green, one was black, and both were cool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-little-man-gave-the-big-one-a-look-one-of-his-eyes-was-green-one/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Jon, could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a...good purpose? - Samwell”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/jon-could-there-be-honor-in-a-lie-if-it-were-told-for-a-good-purpose/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“My mother said my father had a drop of dragon blood.” “Two drops. That, or a cock six feet long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-mother-said-my-father-had-a-drop-of-dragon-blood-two-drops-that-or/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

[Explore all 1,761 George R.R. Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

## More Power quotes

> [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/)

[Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/)

> [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/)

[John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/)

> [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [Next to the assumption of power was the responsibility of relinquishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/next-to-the-assumption-of-power-was-the-responsibility-of/)

[Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/)

> [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/)

[Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/)

[Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/)

> [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/)

[Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/)

> [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

[Browse all 17,893 Power quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George R.R. Martin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like-tedium/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Power"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like-tedium/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/george-r-r-martin-48_power_if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like_1301474.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If this was power, why did it taste like tedium?” — George R.R. Martin",
                "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": "George R.R. Martin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If this was power, why did...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like-tedium/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-this-was-power-why-did-it-taste-like-tedium/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
