MARCH 23, 2025
There’s a moment in every underdog story where the protagonist stands alone. Everyone doubts them. Every door is shut. Every voice says, You can’t do this. And yet, somehow, they turn it around. They gain allies, shift opinions, and by the end, the same people who doubted them are the ones cheering the loudest. This isn’t just cinematic magic—it’s strategy. And if there’s one person who mastered the art of turning tides in his favor, it was Chanakya. The man who, despite having no army, no kingdom, and no wealth, orchestrated the fall of an empire and built a new one in its place.
1. Power Comes from Perception, Not Position
Confidence shapes influence more than status or titles.
People don’t follow the strongest. They follow the most certain. If you act like you already hold power, others will start believing it. The moment you let doubt creep into your voice, you’ve already lost half the battle. If you want people to rally behind you, stop waiting for validation. Speak and act as if you already belong where you’re headed.
2. Win the Outsiders First—The Insiders Will Follow
Gain support from overlooked individuals before influential ones.
Chanakya knew that when power structures are against you, the way in isn’t through the front door. It’s through the people on the edges. The overlooked. The ones with quiet influence. History proves this over and over. The big players don’t change their stance until the smaller ones start shifting. If you’re up against a strong opposition, don’t waste your energy trying to convince the most powerful person in the room. Instead, start with those who are ignored, frustrated, or looking for a change.
Find the ones who have nothing to lose by supporting you—and give them a reason to. A movement doesn’t begin with kings. It begins with the ones who no one is watching.
3. Control the Narrative Before Others Do
Tell your story before opponents define you.
Chanakya was a master storyteller. He knew that the one who controls the narrative controls the outcome. People don’t follow the truth; they follow the story that makes the most sense to them. If you let others define who you are, you’ve already lost. People will see you the way your opponents want them to. But if you shape your own story—if you make sure your side is heard—then no amount of opposition can drown you out.
When everyone is against you, don’t waste time defending yourself. Instead, tell your story so clearly and so convincingly that people can’t help but reconsider what they thought they knew.
4. Influence Is Not About Being Liked—It’s About Being Needed
Make yourself indispensable, not just popular.
Chanakya didn’t care about being liked. He cared about being necessary. When people need you, they will stand by you—even if they don’t like you. Instead of trying to make people agree with you, show them why supporting you benefits them. If you can position yourself as the person who can solve their problems, their personal opinions of you won’t matter.
People shift their loyalties not out of love, but out of self-interest. Learn to align your goals with theirs, and suddenly, you’re not alone anymore.
5. Never Fight Battles That Don’t Serve the War
Pick your fights wisely to win the bigger game.
Chanakya’s greatest strength was patience. He knew that winning one argument meant nothing if it cost him the bigger war. When you’re surrounded by opposition, pick your battles carefully. Not every insult needs a response. Not every challenge needs to be met head-on. Sometimes, retreating, waiting, and observing is the smartest move you can make.
Your real goal is not to “win” against every critic—it’s to outlast them. Time has a way of shifting alliances, breaking strongholds, and exposing weak arguments. Let it work in your favor.
6. When Nothing Else Works, Outlast Them
Patience outlasts opposition better than direct confrontation.
There are times when no strategy seems to work. When no one listens. When every door remains shut. This is when most people give up. But Chanakya played the long game. He didn’t need people to be on his side immediately. He knew that persistence breaks more walls than force ever could.
If today no one believes you, make them see your actions. If today they refuse to listen, give them time. The world may not change overnight, but those who remain standing when the dust settles are the ones who rewrite history.
Because in the end, the most powerful way to win is to simply refuse to lose.
The One Who Understands People, Rules Them
Chanakya never sought power for himself. He built it for others. And in doing so, he gained the ultimate power—the ability to shape events, not just react to them. If the world is against you today, it doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It just means they don’t see what you see—yet. Your job is not to fight them blindly but to make them realize why they need you. Understand people, and you will never be truly alone. Move with wisdom, and even your greatest opposition will, one day, have no choice but to stand with you.
Courtesy/Source: TimesLife / PTI
