Expressions used in Everyday Spoken English in Social and Professional contexts
If a feeling or emotion gets the better of you you are unable to resist doing something even in the knowledge that what you are doing is wrong. When are feeling gets the better of you it is too strong for you to control. For example, 'my anger got the better of me and I really regret what I said'. To get the better of a person means to defeat someone in a game debate or argument.