I feel as if I have opened a can of worms vs. I feel as if I had opened a can of worms

[shootingstar]

I've learned from the annexed thread that I feel as if I had opened a can of worms is wrong. I don't know the reason, though. Please tell me why it is grammatically incorrect to write had. In my opinion both versions are possible.
Thank you.

. . . that I was never again to be committed in ignorance

. . . Well, I was in for it - in for Pinkerton, in for the portrait, in for the type-written lecture. One promise I extorted - that I was never again to be committed in ignorance. Even for that, when I saw how its extortion puzzled and depressed the Irrepressible (the nickname of Pinkerton), my...

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[Piscean]

There is simply no reason to use a past perfect form there. If you are thinking of the present consequence of your act, you can say I feel as if I have opened a can of worms; if you are thinking about the past act itself, you can say I feel as if I opened a can of worms.

 

[emsr2d2]

If, today (or at any point in the future), you want to refer to how you felt yesterday, you can say "On Friday, I felt as if I had opened a can of worms".

 

[shootingstar]

If, today (or at any point in the future), you want to refer to how you felt yesterday, you can say "On Friday, I felt as if I had opened a can of worms".

Great help! Thank you very much. I haven't known this difference in meaning.

 

[emsr2d2]

Great help! Thank you very much. I haven't known didn't know this difference in meaning.

Ironically, you chose the wrong tense above.