--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it were in my power, I would be wiser…" description: "\"If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love leads me one way, my understanding another.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png" --- # If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt… ![“If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love leads me one way, my understanding another.” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png) > “If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love leads me one way, my understanding another.” [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) ## 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 corrupt wisdom; love and reason pull in different directions, creating inner conflict. **In simple terms:** Power clouds judgment; love and reason clash. Key Takeaway Balance heart and mind. Themes conflict power love reason Mood reflective conflicted Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal decisions - leadership - relationships - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts human nature self‑control emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile love’s pull with rational thought? - When does power hinder wisdom? A Different Perspective Wisdom may be lost despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [“Power within A wiser woman kin I cannot give her The proper word She is worth so much more She is the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddy-kobar/power-within-a-wiser-woman-kin-i-cannot-give-her-the-proper-word-she/) [Maddy Kobar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddy-kobar/) > [I felt the power of God as I'd never felt it before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-irwin/i-felt-the-power-of-god-as-i-d-never-felt-it-before/) James Irwin > [I just felt the power and the meanness of the man I was messing with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-just-felt-the-power-and-the-meanness-of-the-man-i-was-messing-with/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I used many times to touch my own chest and feel, under its asthmatic quiver, the engine of the heart and lungs and blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-used-many-times-to-touch-my-own-chest-and-feel-under-its-asthmatic/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Girls felt my power at 135, so I believe I can cause the same effect at 125.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-andrade/girls-felt-my-power-at-135-so-i-believe-i-can-cause-the-same-effect/) [Jessica Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-andrade/) > [“There was a softness around him, and a languor crept upon his limbs. 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He will come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/the-name-is-not-important-anymore-it-s-the-tone-that-counts-i-feel/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) Browse all 703 Carrie quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love leads me one way, my understanding another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ovid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser-but-a-newly-felt-power/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carrie" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser-but-a-newly-felt-power/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/457/ovid-276_carrie_if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser_1443653.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love…” — Ovid", "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": "Ovid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If it were in my power,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser-but-a-newly-felt-power/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser-but-a-newly-felt-power/#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 } } ] } ```