--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We thought we were done with these things…" description: "\"We thought we were done with these things but we were wrong. We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.\" — Stephen Vincent Benet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/122/stephen-vincent-benet-9780_done_we-thought-we-were-done-with-these-thing_3025211.png" --- # We thought we were done with these things but we were… ![“We thought we were done with these things but we were wrong. We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.” quote by Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/122/stephen-vincent-benet-9780_done_we-thought-we-were-done-with-these-thing_3025211.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/122/stephen-vincent-benet-9780_done_we-thought-we-were-done-with-these-thing_3025211.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/122/stephen-vincent-benet-9780_done_we-thought-we-were-done-with-these-thing_3025211.png) > “We thought we were done with these things but we were wrong. We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.” [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observation that power does not guarantee wisdom, warning against overconfidence in authority. **In simple terms:** Power ≠ wisdom. Key Takeaway Seek wisdom beyond authority. Themes power wisdom hubris leadership humility Mood cautionary insightful Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - policy making - organizational change Key Concepts political history leadership studies Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders cultivate humility? - What checks prevent power misuse? A Different Perspective Power can blind judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/we-thought-because-we-had-power-we-had-wisdom/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [Nothing makes you feel more stupid than finding out you were wrong when you thought you were loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-kennedy/nothing-makes-you-feel-more-stupid-than-finding-out-you-were-wrong/) [A.L. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-kennedy/) > [you can die of the wrong thought as quick as of a bullet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-jacobs/you-can-die-of-the-wrong-thought-as-quick-as-of-a-bullet/) Helen Jacobs > [“You’ve missed it again, you’ve gone wrong again, you thought you had time, you thought that even someone whose days were numbered would wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeruya-shalev/you-ve-missed-it-again-you-ve-gone-wrong-again-you-thought-you-had/) Zeruya Shalev > [“People make mistakes. Get over it. You thought he was Mr Right but you were wrong. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. 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