We present everything you need to know about facing your foes, and all of life's battles,

based on the book The 33 Strategies of War by best-selling author Robert Greene.

Greene has studied countless battles throughout history and pulled together the need-to-know
strategies that can also be used for "winning the subtle social game of everyday life."

SELF-DIRECTED WARFARE

Wikimedia Commons/United States Forces Iraq

The first 4 strategies are all about getting your head in the game.

The mind is the starting point of all war and all strategy...

Declare war on your enemies

U.S. Navy/Eric A. Clement

The Polarity Strategy

Life is endless battle and conflict, and you cannot fight effectively unless you can
identify your enemies. Learn to smoke out your enemies, to spot them by the signs
and patterns that reveal hostility. Then, once you have them in your sights, inwardly
declare war. Your enemies can fill you with purpose and direction.

Source: Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War.

Do not fight the past

flikr/The U.S. Army

The Guerrilla-War-Of-The-Mind Strategy

What most often weighs you down and brings you misery is the past. You must
consciously force yourself to react to the present moment. Be ruthless on yourself; do
not repeat the same tired methods. Wage guerrilla war on your mind, allowing no
static lines of defense — make everything fluid and mobile. 
 

Amidst the turmoil of events, do not lose your

presence of mind
The Counterbalance Strategy

In the heat of battle, the mind tends to lose its balance. It is vital to keep you
presence of mind, maintaining your mental powers, whatever the circumstances.
Make the mind tougher by exposing it to adversity. Learn to detach yourself from the
chaos of the battlefield. 

Create a sense of urgency and desperation

The Death-Ground Strategy

You are your own worst enemy. You waste previous time dreaming of the future
instead of engaging in the present. Cut your ties to the past — enter unknown
territory. Place yourself on "death ground", where your back is against the wall and
you have to fight like hell to get out alive.

ORGANIZATIONAL (TEAM) WARFARE

The next 3 strategies are about making the most of your team.

Ideas and tactics mean nothing without an organized, responsive,

creative, and motivated army. 

Avoid the snares of groupthink

The Command-And-Control Strategy

The problem in leading any group is that people inevitably have their own agendas.
You have to create a chain of command in which they do not feel constrained by your
influence yet follow your lead. Create a sense of participation, but do not fall into
groupthink — the irrationality of collective decision making. 

Segment your forces

The Controlled-Chaos Strategy

The critical elements in war are speed and adaptability — the ability to move and
make decisions faster than the enemy. Break your forces into independent groups
that can operate on their own. Make your forces elusive and unstoppable by infusing
them with the spirit of the campaign, giving them a mission to accomplish, and then
letting them run. 

Transform your war into a crusade

Morale Strategy

The secret to motivating people and maintaining their morale is to get them to think
less about themselves and more about the group. Involve them in a cause, a crusade
against a hated enemy. Make them see their survival as tied to the success of the
army as a whole. 

DEFENSIVE WARFARE
The next four strategies will reveal defensive warfare is the height of strategic
wisdom — a powerful style of waging war. 

Get ready to master the arts of deception.

Pick your battles carefully

The Perfect-Economy Strategy

We all have limitations — our energies and skills will take us only so far. You must
know your limits and pick your battles carefully. Consider the hidden costs of war:
time lost, political goodwill squandered, an embittered enemy bent on revenge.
Sometimes it is better to wait, to undermine your enemies covertly rather than
hitting them straight on. 

Turn the tables

The Counterattack Strategy
Moving first — initiating the attack — will often put you at a disadvantage: You are
exposing your strategy and limiting your options. Instead, discover the power of
holding back and letting the other side move first, giving you the flexibility to
counterattack from any angle. If your opponents are aggressive, bait them into a rash
attack that will leave them in a weak position.

Create a threatening presence

Deterrence Strategies

The best way to fight off aggressors is to keep them from attacking you in the first
place. Build up a reputation: You're a little crazy. Fighting you is not worth it.
Uncertainty is sometimes better than overt threat: If your opponents are never sure
what messing with you will cost, they will not want to find out. 

Trade space for time

The Non-Engagement Strategy

To retreat in the face of a strong enemy is not a sign of weakness but of strength. By
resisting the temptation to respond to an aggressor, you buy yourself valuable time —
time to recover, to think, to gain perspective. Sometimes you can accomplish most by
doing nothing.

OFFENSIVE WARFARE
The next 11 strategies outline the form of warfare practiced by the most
successful captains in history. 

The secret to their success is a blend of strategic cleverness and audacity

— it will give all of your attacks much greater force.

Lose battles but end the war

Grand Strategy

It's the art of looking beyond the battle and calculating ahead. It requires that you
focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it. Let others get caught up in the twists
and turns of the battle, relishing their little victories. Grand strategy will bring you
the ultimate reward: the last laugh.

Know your enemy

The Intelligence Strategy

The target of your strategies should be less the army you face than the mind or
women who runs it. If you understand how that mind works, you have the key to
deceiving and controlling it. Train yourself to read people, picking up the signals they
unconsciously send about their innermost thoughts and intentions. 

Overwhelm resistance with speed and suddenness

The Blitzkrieg Strategy

In a world in which many people are indecisive and overly cautious, the use of speed
will bring you untold power. Striking first, before your opponents have time to think
or prepare, will make them emotional, unbalanced, and prone to error. 

Control the dynamic

Forcing Strategies

People are constantly struggling to control you. The only way to get the upper hand is
to make your play for control more intelligence and insidious. Instead of trying to
dominate the other side's every move, work to define the nature of the relationship
itself. Maneuver to control your opponents' minds, pushing their emotional buttons
and compelling them to make mistakes. 

Hit them where it hurts

The Center-Of-Gravity Strategy

Everyone has a source of power on which he or she depends. When you look at your
rivals, search below the surface for that source, the center of gravity that holds the
entire structure together. Hitting them there will inflict disproportionate pain. Find
what the other side most cherishes and protects — that is where you must strike. 
Defeat them in denial
The Divide-And-Conquer Strategy

Never be intimated by your enemy's appearance. Instead, look at the parts that make
up the whole. By separating the parts, sowing dissension and division, you can bring
down even the most formidable foe. When you are facing troubles or enemies, turn a
large problem into small, eminently defeatable parts.

Expose and attack your opponent's soft flank

The Turning Strategy

When you attack people directly, you stiffen their resistance and make your task that
much harder. There is a better way: Distract your opponents' attention to the front,
then attack them from the side, where they least expect it. Bait people into going out
on a limb exposing their weakness, then rake them with fire from the side. 

Envelop the enemy

The Annihilation Strategy

People will use any kind of gap in your defenses to attack you. So offer no gaps. The
secret is to envelop your opponents — create relentless pressure on them from all
sides and close off their access to the outside world. As you send their weakening
resolve, crush their willpower by tightening the noose. 

Maneuver them into weakness

The Ripening-For-The-Sickle Strategy

No matter how strong you are, fighting endless battles with people is exhausting,
costly, and unimaginative. Wise strategist prefer the art of maneuver: Before the
battle even begins, they find ways to put their opponents in positions of such
weakness that victory is easy and quick. Create dilemmas: Devise maneuvers that
give them a choice of ways to respond — all of them bad. 

Negotiate while advancing

The Diplomatic-War Strategy

Before and during negotiations, you must keep advancing, creating relentless
pressure and compelling the other side to settle on your terms. The more you take,
the more you can give back in meaningless concessions. Create a reputation for being
tough and uncompromising, so that people are back on their heels before they even
meet you.

Know how to end things

The Exit Strategy

You are judged in this world by how well you bring things to an end. A messy or
incomplete conclusion can reverberate for years to come. The art of ending things
well is knowing when to stop. The height of strategic wisdom is to avoid all conflicts
and entanglements from which there are no realistic exits. 

UNCONVENTIONAL (DIRTY) WARFARE

The following 11 strategies will give a greater understanding of the
diabolical psychology involved in dirty warfare, helping to arm you with
the proper defense.

It gets nasty.  

Weave a seamless blend of fact and fiction

Misconception Strategies

Since no creature can survive without the ability to see or sense what is going on
around it, make it hard for your enemies to know what is going on around them,
including what you are doing. Feed their expectations, manufacture a reality to
match their desires, and they will fool themselves. Control people's perceptions of
reality and you control them.

Take the line of least expectation

The Ordinary-Extraordinary Strategy

People expect your behavior to conform to known patterns and conventions. Your
task as a strategist is to upset their expectations. First do something ordinary and
conventional to fix their image of you, then hit them with the extraordinary. The
terror is greater for being so sudden. Sometimes the ordinary is extraordinary
because it is unexpected.

Occupy the moral high ground

The Righteous Strategy

In a political world, the cause you are fighting for must seem more than just the
enemy's. By questioning your opponents' motives and making them appear evil, you
can narrow their base of support and room to maneuver. When you find yourself
come under moral attack from a clever enemy, do not whine or get angry; fight fire
with fire. 

Deny them targets

The Strategy Of The Void

The feeling of emptiness or void — silence, isolation, non-engagement with others —

is for most people intolerable. Give your enemies no target to attack, be dangerous
but elusive, then watch as they chase you into the void. Instead of frontal battles,
deliver irritating but damaging side attacks and pinprick bites. 

Seem to work for the interests of others while

furthering your own
The Alliance Strategy

The best way to advance your cause with the minimum of effort and bloodshed is to
create a constantly shifting network of alliances, getting others to compensate for
your deficiencies, do your dirty work, fight your wars. At the same time, you must
work to sow dissension in the alliances of others, weakening your enemies by
isolating them.

 
Give your rivals enough rope to hang themselves
The One-Upmanship Strategy

Life's greatest dangers often come not from external enemies but from our supposed
colleagues and friend who pretend to work for the common cause while scheming to
sabotage us. Work to instill doubts and insecurities in such rivals, getting them to
think too much and act defensively. Make them hang themselves through their own
self-destructive tendencies, leaving you blameless and clean. 

Take small bites

The Fait Accompli Strategy

Overt power grabs and sharp rises to the top are dangerous, creating envy, distrust,
and suspicion. Often the best solution is to take small bites, swallow little territories,
playing upon people's relatively short attention spans. Before people realize it, you
have accumulated an empire. 

Penetrate their minds

Communication Strategies

Communication is a kind of war, its field of battle is the resistant and defensive
minds of the people you want to influence. The goal is to penetrate their defenses and
occupy their minds. Learn to infiltrate your ideas behind enemy lines, sending
messages through little details, luring people into coming to the conclusions you
desire and into thinking they've gotten there by themselves. 

Destroy from within

The Inner-Front Strategy

By infiltrating your opponents' ranks, working from within to bring them down, you
give them nothing to see or react against — the ultimate advantage. To take
something you want, do not fight those who have it, but rather join them — then
either slowly make it your own or wait for the moment to stage a coup d'état.

Dominate while seeming to submit

The Passive-Aggression Strategy

In a world where political considerations are paramount, the most effective form of
aggression is the best hidden one: aggression behind a compliant, even loving
exterior. To follow the passive-aggression strategy you must seem to go along with
people, offering no resistance. But actually you dominate the situation. Just make
sure you have disguised your aggression enough that you can deny it exists. 

Sow uncertainty and panic through acts of terror

The Chain-Reaction Strategy

Terror is the ultimate way to paralyze a people's will to resist and destroy their ability
to plan a strategic response. The goal in a terror campaign is not battlefield victory
but causing maximum chaos and provoking the other side into desperate
overreaction. To plot the most effective counter-strategy, victims of terror must stay
balanced. One's rationality is the last line of defense.

Section 2. How to Respond to Opposition Tactics

Learn some specific skills for dealing with different opposition tactics in order to minimize
their effectiveness and strengthen your own position.

 
 WHAT ARE SOME GENERAL WAYS TO FIGHT THESE TACTICS?
 WHAT ARE THE TEN D'S?
 SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR RESPONDING TO OPPOSITION TACTICS
In community work, there's almost always someone opposed to whatever it is you're doing. Even if your goal is
something everyone can agree on, there will be those who disagree with your methods for achieving it. When your
opposition starts fighting your efforts, it's best to be familiar with what tactics they might use to do so and how your
group might most effectively respond.

WHAT ARE SOME GENERAL WAYS TO FIGHT THESE TACTICS?

There are a variety of tactic-specific ways to deal with each of these forms of attack. Some strategies that apply no
matter what tactic is being used include:
UNDERSTAND YOUR OPPONENT AND HIS/HER/THEIR STRATEGY
If knowledge is power, ignorance is weakness. An opponent you understand is much weaker than an opponent whose
every move baffles you. Understand your foe's beliefs, background, and position. This will put you in a stronger
position to respond to attacks. It can also increase your organization's image as an intelligent, rational group. What
does your opponent believe and want? Does your opponent come from a cultural or ethnic group different from your
own; and if so how might this affect dealings with your organization? Does your opponent have a history of acting (or
reacting) in a certain way? You may be able to determine some of these things from your own history with the person
or organization in question, from the experiences and personal knowledge of friends and colleagues, from newspaper
articles, from corporate PR materials (if you're dealing with a company), or from campaign literature (if you're dealing
with a candidate or elected official).
TURN NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
As the saying goes, when the opposition gives you lemons, make lemonade. The ability to turn any negatives you are
given into positive situations is a very powerful ability for your organization to have. For example, you might use the
utility company's opposition to a program to provide heat subsidies to poor people as an excuse to set up a review of
the company's records of utility shut-offs to heighten awareness of the problem.
SET THE AGENDA
If you are meeting with the opposition, your organization should establish or influence the agenda. This way, it will be
your group that controls the meeting; you, and not the opposition, will have the chance to be on the offensive, which is
always the stronger position to be coming from. Further, if you allow the opposition to set the agenda, chances are
good that some of the important points you wanted to discuss won't even be brought up.The opposition will naturally
use their "home court advantage" to talk about their strengths, rather than points they may be weaker on.
PUBLICLY STATE THE OPPONENT'S STRATEGY
This makes the opposition's tactics seem clearer to all of the members in your group (and therefore easier to fight). It
is also a great way to win sympathy and respect from the general public. This is particularly true if you are a relatively
small group fighting a larger agency or corporation in a just cause. Everyone wants to root for the underdog; giving
your battle a "David and Goliath" image can do a great deal to further your cause.
Some of the information you should consider making public:

 What your opponent has said or done

 Why it is untrue or unjust
 What is true and/or equitable
 How the truth affects you and your opponent

For example, a fair employment practices committee meets with directors of their company about the small number of
minorities hired by the organization. However, in the meeting they find themselves sidetracked by a talk on the new
"cultural competence" seminars being given. At the end of the meeting, the directors leave saying that by meeting
with the committee, they have done their job - even though nothing was really accomplished. Instead of dropping the
matter, however, the members of the committee let the directors - and the press - know that the company was doing
nothing to address the issue.
Be judicious when it comes to going public. You shouldn't do this every time; it can make your group look reactionary
and whiny.
KEEP YOUR OPPONENTS OFF BALANCE
Don't rely on the same approaches all of the time. Instead, constantly take the opposition by surprise. This can not
only can help in your current battle, it will help your group avoid stagnation. If you tried to privately negotiate a
solution last time you butted heads with the opposition, this time you might go public with the situation. Or, you
might ask for a third party to act as a facilitator. Be creative, and don't be afraid to try something new. Leaving your
opponent in a cloud of uncertainty of what your tactics will be this time is a powerful strategy on it's own, and gives
you an advantage over the opposition before you even start.
LEARN FROM THE PAST
If an organization has a history of responding in a certain manner, chances are that's how they will respond again.
Know the history including the preferred tactics of the people you are battling - and know how your organization has
traditionally responded. That way, you'll be thoroughly prepared for what is likely to happen, and you'll be more likely
to avoid any pitfalls you've fallen into in the past.
For example, an organization was trying to reduce the number of billboards advertising beer in a low-income area of
the city. When advocates for the group did their research, they found that every time anyone had complained about the
number of billboards in their community for any product (beer, hard liquor, tobacco, or anything else), the marketers
invoked their right of free speech. Knowing that in advance, the advocates were able to formulate a strong response to
the beer company's free speech argument before they met the opposition, and were eventually successful in limiting
the number of alcohol-related billboards in the community.
BE WILLING TO COMPROMISE
Your opponents may be willing to work with you in good faith, particularly if you have run a good advocacy
campaign. Keep an eye open for situations that might turn into a chance to work together. Be careful that by saying
cooperation, your opponents don't really mean capitulation to their interests. But be careful, too, that you are open to
any legitimate possibilities for making a deal that come your way. If an opposition leader states publicly that some of
your ideas have merit, that could be the olive branch you've been waiting for to achieve peace, and also reach some of
your goals.

WHAT ARE THE TEN D'S?

The ten D's of opposition tactics are:

 Deflect
 Delay
 Deny
 Discount
 Deceive
 Divide
 Dulcify
 Discredit
 Destroy
 Deal

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR RESPONDING TO OPPOSITION

TACTICS
Some of these tactics can be dealt with in similar ways; these are grouped together.
DEFLECT AND DELAY
Deflection happens when your opponents try to shift the focus of the debate from the real problem to other issues, or
when they try to "pass the buck" to a group with little or no authority. Delays occur when the opposition says it is
working on the problem, when the reality is that nothing has been done. Sometimes they do this by claiming that they
don't yet have enough information to move on the problem, when there is already plenty of information. Often the
opposition will form a committee or commission to study the problem, putting things off for as long as possible. Your
opponent is most likely hoping that the public will lose interest if the issue can be put off indefinitely.

 Deflect: Clean Our River, a citizens' group in Riverville, releases a study showing that SludgeCo, a large
chemical manufacturing company, has been dumping toxins into the river upstream from the town. The
community is outraged and Clean Our River begins pressuring SludgeCo to stop dumping into the river and
to clean up what they've done so far. SludgeCo counters by releasing its own study about Riverville residents
littering along the river.
 Delay: A consumer safety group has been lobbying for national legislation to require all furniture
manufacturers to treat all furniture upholstery with flame-retardant chemicals, because several studies have
shown flammable upholstery to be the cause for a high percentage of home fires. A Congress member from a
state with several furniture factories, under pressure from furniture manufacturers in his district, is opposed
to doing this. He introduces a bill that calls for the legislation to be put off for another year so that a study
can be done by the Consumer Product Safety Division, in spite of numerous studies cited by the consumer
group. This is a classic example of the delay tactic.

Responding to deflection and delays

Be persistent! If you feel you must address whatever other issue your opponent may have thrown out, do so, but try
not to spend too much time on it, and always bring the focus back to your primary issue.

 Know your opponents and understand their strategies. In the above example of delaying, the consumer
group was familiar with their opponent's ties to furniture manufacturers, and pointed that out in all their
press materials and appearances.
 Be as familiar as possible with your opponent's decision-making process, including who has what
responsibilities. This will help you make a reasoned and well-informed objection if your opponent tries to
shift responsibility to someone else.
 If necessary, briefly address the issue your opponent has thrown out. If you feel the public has really been
"sucked in" by the opposition's tactic, go ahead and address it, but it's important that you only do so briefly.
If you appear to be giving it a lot of weight, the public will perceive it as being as important as the real issue.
  Always bring the focus back to your key issue or problem. Be ready to bring out more evidence that your
problem or issue is the main one that your opponent and the public should be concerned with. You may need
to be repetitive, or you might have to come up with new ways to get the issue into the public eye. Whatever
the case, persistence is key.

The consumer group in the above delay example provided the press with numerous studies and reports backing up
their claims about the danger of flammable furniture upholstery. They also provided television stations with dramatic
footage of safety tests in which an untreated sofa quickly burst completely into flames, while a treated one only
smoldered.
If your opponent is stalling, claiming that more information is needed, consider using some unusual publicity-
grabbing tactics. For example, something the consumer group in the above example could do is set up a mock
cemetery in a public place, with fake gravestones representing the number of people who will die in fires caused by
flammable furniture over the next year.
DENY AND DISCOUNT
When your opponents use denial tactics, they try to say either that the problem doesn't exist (e.g., "AIDS is not a
problem in our community"), or that your proposed solution won't work.
Discounting is very similar to denial; the only difference is that the opponent isn't saying the problem doesn't exist -
they're just saying it isn't important, or it isn't as big a problem as you know it really is.

 Deny: A teen pregnancy prevention group is trying to get the public schools to require a sex education
course for all high school students in Suburbandale. Enraged, members of the PTA claim that Suburbandale
high school kids aren't having sex.
 Discount: Members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in your city are asking the city
council to pass a law outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and housing. The
city council counters by saying that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people make up such a small
portion of the community that such a law is unnecessary.

Responding to denial and discounting

When your opponent tries to say the problem isn't real or isn't that important, you'd better be prepared to prove to the
public that it is indeed real and that it is indeed significant.

 Know your opponents and understand their strategies. Why would your opponent want the public to think
the problem doesn't exist? As with other opposition tactics, knowing your opposition's motives will help you
figure out how to best deal with them.
 Be prepared to provide the necessary information and to be persistent about it. If you can hand over loads of
evidence that there is indeed a problem and that it really is important, your opposition won't be able to keep
denying or discounting it for long. They'll start to look pretty bad in the public eye if they continue to deny
the problem after you've shown ample evidence to the contrary.
 Publicly state the opponent's strategy. If presenting evidence that the problem is real doesn't get anywhere
with the opposition, it's time to go public. Fact sheets, reports, surveys, expert opinions, and other materials
can be presented to the public and the press to prove your point.

DECEIVE
Your opponents may intentionally mislead or confuse your organization or the public by lying or by "forgetting" to
tell the whole story. Deception is low-minded; it is also, unfortunately, an all-too-common occurrence in the lives of
both people and organizations.
For example, the National Audabon Society, which has long been battling logging companies, recently encountered a
deception tactic from a Congress member with ties to the logging industry who sponsored a bill. The bill, attempting
to promote increased logging as a cure -all for insect and disease infestations in our National Forests, would have
allowed logging companies to cut big, healthy trees instead of the small, fire-prone trees they are supposed to cut. The
National Audabon society countered by pointing out that insects, disease, and fire were at relatively normal levels,
while logging and grazing cause the most damage to our forests.
Responding to deception
Respond immediately - don't wait until things have cooled down and people have forgotten what has happened, or
accepted your opposition's deceit as truth. Refute their statements quickly, clearly, and forcefully, and then get on with
the rest of your work.
Know your opponents and understand their strategies. Deception may be carried out in a variety of ways, and
some of them are more difficult to discern than others.
Common types of deception to be on the lookout for include:

 "Forgetting" to tell the whole truth. This may include leaving out important information, facts, or details that
would change the way others would view the situation.
 Misusing or misrepresenting statistics. As Mark Twain once said, "There are lies, damned lies, and
statistics." Statistics may sound impressive and give weight to your opponent's arguments, but they are also
very easily manipulated. For example, the phrase, "Two-thirds of those surveyed believe condoms should
not be made available to area youth" may sound impressive, but find out who was surveyed, who conducted
the survey (an unbiased third party? your opposition?) when the survey was done (is it outdated?) and how
the survey was done (was it done in such a way as to minimize the possibility of bias?). The above statement
becomes much less convincing when you find that "those surveyed" included only the leader of your
opposition, her husband, and their dog (the dog, being hungry at the time, had no opinion, thus creating the
one-third dissension).
 "Fogging" the issue with unrelated information, bureaucratic nonsense, or just incomprehensible gibberish.
An example of fogging the issue would be the politician who claims, "The papers misquoted me!" More than
likely, what she means is, "I really wish I hadn't said that publicly!" Fogging can also occur when you are
given a long -winded answer complete with so much technical jargon and gobbledygook that you have no
idea what (if anything) has been said, or when your opposition brings up a totally unrelated issue, and tries to
steer the conversation onto different, safer (for them) ground.
 Telling half-truths. With a half-truth, your opposition takes something that has occurred or a fact that they
have uncovered and discusses only the parts that hurt you and help them. An example of this might be a
quote on the cover of a book from a famous reviewer saying, "[I]ncredible... definitely a novel worth picking
up." The quote, used here to help sell the book, actually said in its entirety, "What an incredible bore! If you
have problems with insomnia, this is definitely a novel worth picking up."
 Telling flat-out lies. People don't play fair a lot of the time, and for our organizations to survive, we have to
be ready to defend ourselves. If you have any doubt in the truth of what your opposition is saying, insist that
they back up what they said with facts.

Let the public know what has occurred. There are two reasons for this: first, the deceit of the opposition may be
better known than you think, and by going public, you are helping the public get a positive, clearer view of your
organization as well as a negative view of your opposition. Second, such a situation can only help your group and hurt
your opposition in the eyes of the public.

 Refute the deception. If you can prove in a clear, logical manner why your opposition is wrong, you are sure
to win supporters for your cause. At its best, refutation is a three step process:
o Analyzing your opponent's argument. What, exactly, is wrong with what your foe has said?
o Attacking the weaknesses in your opponent's argument. If there are many weaknesses, list all or at
least most of them. Show the factual errors in each case. List the major weaknesses first and last,
then summarize those weaknesses at the end.
o Establishing a contrary argument. Don't just explain that the opposition is wrong; be sure to make
clear what the truth of the matter is. If you simply refute the argument, it may still stick in people's
minds if they have nothing to replace it with.

Going back to the example of contraceptives for teenagers, an example of how you might want to publicly
refute your opponent might be phrased in the following manner:
"Our opponents have stated that two-thirds of those surveyed in our community were against allowing access to
contraception for our youth. Upon scrutiny of this survey, however, we have learned that it had only three
respondents, and that they were all linked by very close ties to our opponents. However, a second survey of 2500
residents, conducted by the independent research group XYZ, reports that in truth, over 80% of our community is
actually in favor of increased contraceptive access for our youth. Therefore, it must be realized that our opponent's
views are not held by the majority of community members, and it should be remembered that they are only a very
small, if vocal, voice in our area."
DIVIDE
If your group is working on a controversial issue, you may find your opponents try to split your group over such
issues.
For example, a community coalition in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Los Angeles has been
battling manufacturers of malt beverages for some time. The manufacturers have decided to try a new approach -
offering to build a youth center in the neighborhood. The offer effectively divides the group - some members feel that
the offer should be accepted, and others feel that the group shouldn't accept any gift from a longtime foe.
Responding to dividing tactics

 Know your opponents and their strategies

 Keep the lines of communication open within your group. Provide opportunities so that the members of your
organization are able to discuss concerns with each other on a regular basis. This can be done by holding
regular discussion groups, setting up an email discussion list, or sponsoring social gatherings for your group.
Encourage your members to talk about any problems or concerns they might have. You may want to
facilitate the discussions to a degree just to keep things orderly, but give everyone a chance to speak their
mind and try not to steer the discussion too much. Knowing what's on the minds of people in your
organization and encouraging open dialogue will help you find out early on when another group may be
trying to divide you, and it fosters a sense of unity to combat such attempts.
 Take steps to ensure team feeling and group morale. When people in your organization feel like a part of a
team, they're less likely to be vulnerable to outside attempts at dividing them, and they're more likely to
inform you when such attempts are being made. Open lines of communication, as mentioned before, are the
key. Team-building activities, staff retreats, and social activities are also good ways to make everyone
involved feel like a part of the group and, therefore, make the group less likely to be divided.
 Find ways to achieve compromise within the group. When your group does become divided over a particular
issue, find a compromise so that you can move on and continue your work as soon as possible. This holds
true whether the division is coming from an outside element or from within the group. Read on - the
information on deal tactics later in this section give some good tips on ways to reach a satisfactory
compromise.

DULCIFY
To dulcify an organization is to try to appease or pacify members with small, meaningless concessions.
For example, one of the goals of the New Haven AIDS Task Force is teen HIV prevention, and they've been trying to
get the school district to create an effective HIV prevention program in the high schools. The school district attempts
to dulcify the task force by saying they do have an HIV prevention program. The school district's program, as it turns
out, is largely meaningless - a voluntary, after-school program that students get no class credit or extracurricular credit
for taking part in. The task force counters by publicizing evidence of the ineffectiveness of such voluntary programs
in similar communities and by publicizing a rise in teen HIV infection in the community. The community as a whole
starts pressuring the school district for a more meaningful response, and a mandatory course during school hours.
Responding to dulcify tactics

 Know your opponents and their strategies

 Explain why the concessions made by your opponent are unsatisfactory. Remember, you don't want to come
off sounding ungrateful or hostile at this stage. Your opposition may very well think that they are really
making an effort to meet your requests; then again, they may fully realize that what they're offering is
meaningless. Play it safe at first - act as if they really are trying even if you suspect they may be not be. Try
to be appreciative and respectful of what they've offered, but firm in explaining why it won't work: "We
applaud your efforts to make a difference in this, but we're afraid that a voluntary after-school program won't
do enough to prevent teens in New Haven from risk behaviors. Here's why..." The AIDS task force in the
example above had to back up their claim about the ineffectiveness of voluntary, after-school education
programs with statistics from communities similar to their own.
 Explain why whatever it is you're asking for is more reasonable. Again, be ready to back up your argument
with facts and figures.
 Let the public know what has occurred. If you're unable to get any more concessions out of your opponent,
you may want to go public at this point. Be careful to do this only if you feel fairly certain that the public
will view the concessions made by the opposition to be as meaningless as you do! If people perceive you as
ungrateful or unreasonable, it will hurt your cause.

DISCREDIT
When the opposition tries to discredit an organization, they call your motives and methods into question to try to make
your group look incompetent (unreasonable, unnecessary, dishonest, et cetera), to the community. This can get nasty -
discrediting can even go so far as to include personal attacks.
Responding to discrediting
Handle this like you would handle deception. Your opponent is trying to make you look bad.
For example, let's go back to the consumer safety group working to require flame-retardant upholstery in furniture
again. The Congress member who was opposed to their efforts also attempted to discredit the group by saying that
they couldn't possibly speak to the potential harm of flame-retardant chemicals because they don't have a toxicologist
on staff. The consumer group countered by listing the credentials of the various scientists that they do have on staff
and presenting the press with several reports and studies showing flame-retardant chemicals to be harmless.
DESTROY
If your opponents are trying to ruin your organization or initiative in any way possible - which can include using a
combination of two or more of the other tactics - they are trying to destroy you.
Responding to destroy tactics
Your response should be swift and intensive. Respond - and respond forcefully - as soon as you recognize your
opponent's tactics. Consider the following five steps as a possible strategy for defeating your opponent:

 Know your opponents and their strategies

 Realize that threats are only threats. The use of fear is one of your opponent's greatest weapons. Threats of
lawsuits, of curtailing funding sources, and even of violent attacks or arrest may be used. It's important to
realize, however, that groups usually have no intent on going through with their threats; they are often just
bluffing to make you back down with as little trouble as possible.
 Know your rights. In the face of such threats, your best defense is a full understanding of whether the
opposition can actually do what they say they are going to. Perhaps a local company has threatened to sue
you for defamation, but a quick check with legal counsel can show you that they simply don't have a case.
Knowing your rights can help you call your opposition's bluff. You can also can turn the situation to your
advantage and put him back on the defensive if your opponent does step over his legal boundaries.
 Keep the lines of communication open within your group. It can hardly be emphasized enough: when trying
to destroy you, one of your opponent's main weapons is the use of fear. By keeping all of the members of
your organization up to date on what is happening, you can minimize that fear, as well as avoid any dividing
tactics your opponent may be trying to use. Communication within your group may be kept up with phone
calls, notes in the agency newsletter, memos, letters, electronic mail, updates at meetings, and any other way
you currently communicate news.
 Go public with your opponent's tactics. There are two good reasons to do this. First, if your opponent has
been trying to discredit you in the eyes of the community, doing so can help clear up potentially ruinous
notice in the press. Second, exposing your opposition's attempts to destroy you can help your group gain
sympathy and support. This is particularly true if the group you're up against is very powerful in comparison
to your group, because the confrontation may take on a "David and Goliath" aspect, and people love to root
for an underdog.

DEAL
Occasionally, your opponent may offer to make a deal. Positively speaking, to deal with an opponent means to
negotiate an agreement that is acceptable to everyone involved. Sometimes, however, deal tactics may be used
negatively as a ploy to lure your organization away from your true goal. This may be done by offering your
organization concessions that turn out to be almost meaningless in exchange for "give-backs" on your part that bring
you no closer to your ultimate goal (see the suggestions on dulcifying earlier in this section).
If you play your cards carefully, a deal can work to your advantage. You might gain increased understanding of your
opponent and his/her position, and vice versa. It can also show your organization to be a legitimate, powerful
organization that's not afraid to "sit across the table" - especially important for small or new organizations trying to
gain credibility in the community. Finally, in a best case scenario, effective negotiation may bring about your goal in
its entirety: you might just get exactly what you want!
Times when you might not want to deal include:

 When your opponent is seen as having a long-term negative relationship with your community and your
negotiation might be viewed as betrayal
 When your opponent has a history of meeting with community groups in bad faith
 When your opponent has had recent, publicly proven financial or other serious misconduct

For example, the teen pregnancy prevention coalition in the small, closely-knit town Somewhereville wanted to have
all high school students fill out a survey regarding sexual activity. A parents' group, opposed to the survey because of
its explicit nature, started organizing against the coalition. Luckily, both sides were able to strike a satisfactory
compromise when the teen pregnancy coalition agreed to use a different survey that still asked about sexuality issues
but also asked questions about nutrition, drug and alcohol abuse, and other teen social issues. The parents' group was
happy to have a survey that didn't focus only on sex, the coalition still got the information it needed, and information
needed by other community groups was gathered at the same time.
Responding to deal tactics
The above example could have turned out much differently - the teen pregnancy prevention coalition might not have
been able to do a survey at all, or the parents group might have been rebuffed completely, making them resentful and
unwilling to be helpful to the coalition. Striking a compromise that is acceptable to all parties is crucial, and there are
a variety of ways you can make sure you get the best possible compromise.
Know your opponents and understand their strategies.

 Set the stage for a successful meeting. Schedule your meeting for the time and place where you will feel
most comfortable and confident. If possible, meet on your own "home turf", or pick a neutral site for your
meeting. Avoid going over to your opponent's playing field. Also, consider what time of day to hold the
negotiations - e.g., if you're a morning person, don't schedule the meeting for 9:00 at night.
 For your negotiation team, try to pick people with different personality types and responsibilities in your
group. Remember, you have the responsibility of representing the interests of your group, so a balanced
negotiation team is important.
 Determine ahead of time what you want most to achieve, what's most important to your group, and what you
won't compromise on. Think about what you'll do if negotiations fail - there's always the chance that
negotiations will fall apart, so have a "plan B" cooked up well in advance.
 Negotiate with the people with the power. Speaking with the people who actually have the power to enact a
change will reduce the chance that you will be misunderstood and increase the chance that something will
actually happen. Insist that the real "decision makers" are there. There's nothing that's more frustrating than
negotiating with folks who say, "Well, we'll get back to you after we confer with our director."

While you are negotiating, you should:

 Be careful about how you communicate your ideas.

 Let your opponent make the first offer. This will let you get a better idea of what your opponent is thinking,
while revealing none of your own ideas. It's also possible that their first offer will be significantly better than
you'd hoped for.
 Explain the basis of your offer. Explain why you are making this offer, and why you believe it to be fair.
Always ask your opponent to do the same.
 Make your offer flexible. If you are too rigid with your demands, you may discourage your opponent away
from the bargaining table.
 Stay cool! As the commercial says, "Don't ever let them see you sweat." If you feel yourself beginning to get
upset, or you are worried you will give in on an important point, call a recess and get your wits back in
order.
 Avoid ultimatums. Ultimatums can often lead to an abrupt, ugly end to a meeting, leaving both sides in a
worse situation than before. Only use them when you feel you have no choice; even then, leave an escape
clause open if possible. For example, you might say, "Unless we receive some new information that changes
things, we'll have to..."
 Remember what is most important to your organization. This can't be emphasized enough.

After a deal has been agreed upon, be sure to:

 Restate the agreement and document everything. You might finish a meeting with a statement such as, "Then
we have agreed that..." Restating your agreement confirms everything that has been decided and helps you
make sure there have been no misunderstandings. Also, put it in writing. Unfortunately, oral agreements are
broken all the time, so until the deal has been put down on paper, you're not finished.
 Don't let your opponent reopen a deal or agreement that has been closed.
 Establish a process to make sure everyone sticks to the terms of the deal. It's in your common interest to
ensure that both parties do what they said they would do. This "monitoring process" is an important part of
most good negotiations.

IN SUMMARY
Knowing how to handle counterattacks and preparing yourself for them as much as possible will greatly increase your
confidence in dealing with the many skirmishes you're likely to experience in community organizing. Keep in mind
that you'll probably often find your opposition using a combination of two or more of the ten D's, so you may have to
adapt some of these strategies somewhat to better fit your own situation. As activist and educator Effie Jones once
said, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Think about what you might expect from your opponents and how to best
respond to them, and you'll be prepared and confident when counterattacks come.

Opponent is someone who competes with or opposes another in a contest, game, or argument.
1. In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.
Miyamoto Musashi
2. A last trick is to become personal, insulting and rude as soon as you perceive that your opponent has the upper hand.
In becoming personal you leave the subject altogether, and turn your attack on the person by remarks of an offensive
and spiteful character. This is a very popular trick, because everyone is able to carry it into effect.”
Arthur Schopenhauer

3. It is not your opponent but your weaknesses that hurt you the most.
Apoorve Dubey

4. Always make your opponent think you know more than you really know.
Philip Sheridan

5. Assertion is not argument; to contradict the statement of an opponent is not proof that you are correct.
Samuel Johnson

6. Others are not really our opponent but the real opponent is ourselves.
Jeff Lo

7. It is better to have an enemy who honestly says they hate you than to have a friend who's putting you down secretly
Anonymous

8. I'm fighting myself, there is no opponent.

Conor Mc Gregor

9. For self-realization, a rebel demands a strong authority, a worthy opponent, God to his Lucifer.
Mary McCarthy

10. You and your opponent want the same thing. The only thing that matters is who works the hardest for it
Anonymous

11. Never interrupt your opponent when he's destroying himself.

Paul Begala

12. Respect yourself, your Opponent and the Game.

Chris Carter

13. To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all,
charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.
Oren Arnold

14. The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities… It is best
to win without fighting.
Anonymous

15. In the investigation of a neurotic style of life, we must always suspect an opponent, and note who suffers most
because of the patient’s condition. Usually this is a member of the family.
Alfred Adler

16. I’ve been focusing on what I need to do to my opponent. I’ve been doing a lot of visualization, imagining myself in
the ring. I’m ready for anything. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. I know I’ll find the strength.
Roberto Benitez

17. If you really want a true confrontation, you treat your opponent with respect.
Henry Rollins
18. When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by
the opponent.
Miyamoto Musashi

19. Respect your opponent, just make them respect you more.
Georges St-Pierre

20. My opponent is my teacher and I am his teacher. I have to show him what he’s doing wrong and I have to learn from
what he’s teaching me. You can’t think of him as an enemy, it’s the wrong mindset, you don’t fight with anger or hate,
you’re always going to lose that way.
Jon Fitch

21. Work harder than your opponent.

Kevin Duran

22. I've never pumped myself up or made myself angry as some sportsmen do. I think that one should treat his
opponent with great respect.
Fedor Emelianenko

23. It is a gross overstatement, but in chess, it can be said I play against my opponent over the board and against
myself on the clock.
Viktor Korchno

24. If an opponent won't watch you bet, then you probably shouldn't.
Mike Caro

25. Beat your opponent where he is strongest, and you demoralize him.
Vince Lombardi

26. Honor your opponent. He is raising the bar, providing the hurdle which will make you leap higher, challenging your
limits so you go further
Anonymous

27. Never underestimate your opponent but never make him bigger than you.
Philipp Schranz

28. My opponent called me a cream puff. Well, I rushed out and got the baker's union to endorse me.
Claiborne Pell

29. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT

Anonymous

30. To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace
Anonymous

31. In boxing you create a strategy to beat each new opponent, it's just like chess.
Lennox Lewis

32. Your biggest opponent is the one in the mirror

Anonymous

33. The only way to get smarter is by playing a smarter opponent

Anonymous

34. Know yourself, and know your opponent. They are never as strong as you think, and never as weak either.
Carlos Newton

35. True strength isn't in killing – or ignoring – your opponent, it's in having the will to shield those who need your
protection.
Ilona Andrews

36. The opponents and I are really one. My strength and skills only half of the equation. The other half is theirs. An
opponent is someone whose strength joined to yours creates a certain result.
Sadaharu Oh

37. If you're not out front defining your vision, your opponent will spend gobs of money to define it for you. Donna
Brazile

38. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.
Haruki Murakami

39. So be gentle with yourself; show yourself the same kindness and patience you might show a young child – the child
you once were. If you won’t be your own friend, who will be? If, when playing an opponent, you are also opposing
yourself, you will be outnumbered.
Dan Millman

40. Give way to your opponent; thus will you gain the crown of victory.
Ovid

41. To say or write a distasteful word is surely not violent especially when the speaker or writer believes it to be true.
The essence of violence is that there must be a violent intention behind a thought, word or act, i.e. an i9ntention to do
harm to the opponent so-called. False notions of propriety or fear of wounding susceptibilities often deter people from
saying what they mean and ultimately land them on the shores of hypocrisy. But if nonviolence of thought is to be
evolved in individuals or societies or nations, truth has to be told, however harsh or unpopular it may appear to be for
the moment. Satyam bruyat, Priyam bruyat na bruyat Satyam apriyam
M. K. Gandhi

42. Being My Enemy Automatically Makes You A Fashion Disaster

Anonymous

43. See? she says. “tricked you. You’re always staring at your opponents eyes-but that gives you a bad peripheral
view.If you want to track my arms and legs, you have to focus on my chest.
I raise my eyebrow at that. “say no more.
Marie Lu, Prodigy

44. I don’t like to show my emotions at the board, not because they might give something away to an opponent, but
because that’s my style: I like to keep it to myself.
Vladimir Kramnik

45. Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.

Demosthenes

46. The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent; it happens at the poker table all the
time. David M. Shoup
47. Even if you play perfectly, a fault of your opponent's can destroy the entire beauty of the game
Anonymous

48. I never underestimate my opponent, but I never underestimate my talents.

Hale Irwin

49. When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.
Morihei Ueshiba

50. Giving The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your
child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself,
respect; to all men.
Henry Ward Beecher

51. Always assume that your opponent is going to be bigger, stronger and faster than you; so that you learn to rely on
technique, timing and leverage rather than brute strength.
Helio Gracie
52. The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. Bill
Russell

53. Know your opponent and you will never lose, know yourself and you will always win.
Sun Tzu's Art of War

54. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense
whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Sun Tzu

55. You have to have respect for your opponent, because your opponent might be your.
Roger Federer

56. Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into
his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life! Do
not be concerned with escaping safely- lay your life before him!!
Bruce Lee

57. Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.
Buddha

58. If you have a strong opponent, a competition is stimulating. I am generally most open to ideas when I have had a
bad result. In chess, too, players specialise. This specialty then becomes an entry barrier.
Viswanathan Anand

59. It's okay to lose to opponent, must not lose to fear.

Mr. Miyagi

60. The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities…It is best
to win without fighting.
Sun Tzu

61. Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.
Mahatma Gandhi

62. You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2 2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for
one.
Mikhail Tal

63. It is impossible to win a contest with a helpless opponent since if you win you have won nothing.
Jay Haley

64. Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

Sun Tzu

65. If you face a worthy opponent acknowledge their skills and show them yours.
Kiersten Warren
The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a
good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all
men, charity.

Know yourself, and know your opponent. They are never as strong as you think, and never as weak either.

5 Phrases and Verbal Tactics to Crush Your Enemies

We’ve all had this experience: You’re in a debate or a discussion. You’re at a loss for words. And of course,
after it’s all over, you think of exactly the right thing to have said.

I hate that feeling, but do you want to know who really hates it? Politicians.
Rhetoric and words are almost all that they have. Now that we’re in the middle of the presidential campaign
season, with caucuses and primaries about to happen, and one debate after another after another, that gives us an
opportunity.

Almost no political zinger is spontaneous. Consultants have spent millions trying to craft the right lines. And if
you study the debates and the candidates’ verbal tactics, you can find some great lessons–even blueprints–for
using rhetoric to upend your adversary’s position.

Here are five examples–from both Democrats and Republicans.

1. The dismissive counterpunch.

Let’s start with the kind of one-punch knockout that can really end an opponent’s chances. The trick here to
know the kind of opportunity you’re looking for and be ready. Two great examples:

First, an example from this cycle–the way Donald Trump very effectively sidelined Jeb(!) Bush by repeatedly
describing him as “low energy.” When Bush came out with guns blazing in one debate, Trump was able to put
him off effectively simply by saying, “More energy tonight–I love that!”

Second, a more classic example. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter was running against Ronald Reagan, and
Carter had used the same effective line of attack against Reagan–perhaps one too many times.

Reagan was able to use a little verbal jiujitsu to turn the whole thing around on him in a debate. Instead of
engaging, he simply dismissed Carter’s line by chuckling: “Well, there you go again.”

2. The cool cultural reference.

This one is really hard to pull off. It’s about working a cultural reference into your reply to an opponent’s
rhetorical dig. It can easily backfire–but if you do it effectively, you’re in great shape.

Cultural references evolve so quickly, it’s hard to recall some of these accurately, but here are two good
examples.

The first comes from 2012, when President Obama and Mitt Romney were squaring off. Obama wanted to take
Romney to task for having suggested that Russia was the biggest foreign challenge facing the United States–not
ISIS or another Middle Eastern foe.

His line? “The 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back.”

It worked–but not perfectly–in part, perhaps, because Obama didn’t get the cultural put-down exactly right (and
maybe because by 2012, that was already kind of a clich.)

A better example might come from 1984, in the Democratic primaries, when eventual nominee Walter Mondale
suggested his rival Gary Hart didn’t have any substance by quoting a Wendy’s fast food commercial that was
popular at the time: “Where’s the beef?”

3. The nod to truth.

Sometimes, the facts are on your side to the point that you can score simply by getting out of the way.

A good example? Then-candidate Obama, in 2008, responding to a line of questioning about Hillary Clinton’s
“likability” by telling her she was “likable enough.”
Perhaps the best came from the year 2000, when Vice-President Al Gore walked across the stage and sort of
“got into the space” of Republican nominee George W. Bush.

Bush interrupted his remarks just for a brief second, to nod in Gore’s direction–as if to point out how weird it
was that Gore had walked over. He didn’t even have to say anything, but he made his point very clear.

4. The elephant in the room.

Sometimes there’s another way to handle an obvious truth–and that’s to say it in a manner that is so clear and
obvious that there simply is no real response.

Example: In 1988, Dan Quayle was running for vice-president, and in a debate with the Democratic nominee,
Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Quayle made the point that he had as much experience as John Kennedy had when he’d
run for president in 1960.

Maybe you weren’t even born in 1988, but you might know Bentsen’s response–which pretty much solidified
the mainstream opinion of Quayle:

“Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator,
you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

5. The table-turn.
Similarly, sometimes you can take your opponent’s exact words and use them to turn everything against him or
her.

As an example, in the Republican debates earlier this year, Jeb Bush started attacking Senator Marco Rubio for
having missed votes in the senate while he was campaigning. I’m not sure if this was ever going to be effective,
but Rubio knocked him back and disarmed the attack simply by observing, “Someone convinced you attacking
me is going to help you.”

The most classic example is probably from 1984, when Reagan was running for reelection at age 73. When this
was brought up in a debate, he almost seemed to have misunderstood the question in his remark–but it was a
genius response:

“I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s
youth and inexperience,” Reagan said.

How effective was it? He even left his opponent, Walter Mondale, laughing–and beat him in a landslide.

Identifying Opponents
Learn how to identify your opponents, and to understand, anticipate, and defuse their opposition, in
order to increase your chances of success.

 
WHO ARE YOUR OPPONENTS?
When you're moving toward your goal, it sometimes feels like everyone supports what you are doing. If
you are raising money for a new wing of the hospital, or writing a grant for a new branch library, everyone
in the community may sing praises to you. This is wonderful. But it is also relatively rare. Much of the
time, you are likely to encounter some resistance or some open opposition to what you are doing.
There are several different forms of opposition that you may encounter. Sometimes your opponents are
visible and public. These opponents are sometimes easier to deal with, because you know what you're up
against. It can be a lot tougher when your opponents are less visible, because it's harder to be sure who
your opponents are.
This is especially the case when people appear to support you but then withhold support, or even oppose
you, when it really counts. The bottom line is, you need to become skilled at recognizing the type and
degree of opposition in addition to simply identifying your opponents.
Who might your opponents be? Well, much like potential allies, the answer is just about anyone. It just
depends on how much other people or groups stand to lose by your victory. In this section we'll take a
closer look at the sources of that opposition, and how it can be overcome.

WHY SHOULD YOU WANT TO IDENTIFY YOUR

OPPONENTS?
As with allies, there are opponents to just about every issue. If you stand for one thing, someone may
challenge you and stand for something else. Here are two important reasons to identify opponents before
you implement your campaign:

 You can anticipate the type and degree of opposition or attack you will encounter
 You can effectively direct your resources towards weakening or eliminating your opposition

In other words, identifying your opponents and anticipating their opposition should increase your chances
of success.

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY YOUR OPPONENTS?

The first step in determining who your opponents might be is to again ask yourself "Who cares about your
issue?". In this case, the best answer to your question is: "Anyone who might lose something from your
success."
It will help to create a list of opponents, including all the people, groups of people, and organizations that
may have something to lose, directly or indirectly, if you win. They will be the ones actively trying to stop
you from winning. A simple example might be if your group was trying to get restaurants in your area to
ban cigarette vending machines. One opponent would certainly be cigarette-makers, because they would be
losing money from sales, and they would be losing an important marketing instrument. Other opponents
might be restaurant owners or tavern keepers who might lose money if the machines are removed.
It stands to reason that the people with the most to lose are going to fight your group the hardest. You
should ask yourself: What specifically will they lose? Money? Time? Prestige? Staff? The answer is likely
to be several of these things.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE POWER OF YOUR

OPPONENTS?
Now that you've listed all the groups and individuals that might lose something if you win, you should
probably start thinking about "What are they going to do to stop us?" Possibly everything within their
power; so you need to find out what power they have. This is similar to determining the potential power of
your allies - just develop a table listing your opponents and the types of power they may have.
By filling out a table of your opponents and their power, you can see the kind of strategies and tactics they
might try to use against you. For example, they might try to tie you up in a legal battle, or try to portray
you in the media as extremists who don't care about people's jobs.

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR OPPONENTS' TACTICS?

So now you've identified your opponents, and you know what they are capable of doing to your group.
You need to have some way of recognizing their tactics, and of responding.
Some tactics your opponents may use are:

 Deflect - they could divert the issue to a lesser, side issue; or could "pass the buck" to a lower
official who has no real power.
 Delay - your opponent could make you think they are addressing the issue, when nothing is really
being done. For example, forming a "study commission" that has no real power to give you the
change you want.
 Deny - your opponent may say your claims and your proposed solutions, or both, are invalid.
 Discount - your opponent may try to minimize the importance of the problem, question your
legitimacy as an agent of change or both.
 Deceive - your opponent may deliberately try to make you and your group feel like they are taking
meaningful action, when they in fact have not; they may never have had any real intention to
consider your issues.
 Divide - your opponent may sow the seeds of dissent into your group's ranks, and use a "Divide
and Conquer" strategy.
 Dulcify - your opponent may try to appease or pacify your group, or people who are undecided
about the issue, through offers of jobs, services, and other benefits.
 Discredit - your opponent may try to cast doubt on your group's motives and methods.
 Destroy - your opponents may try to destabilize or eliminate your group through legal, economic,
or scare tactics.
 Deal - your opponent may decide to avoid conflict by offering a deal, working with your group
towards a mutually acceptable solution.
 Surrender - the opposition may agree to your demands. If this is the case, you should remember
that the victory is not complete until the opposition follows through with its promises.

These are the most common tactics your opponents may use. But you can never be too sure of what they
might do. In real life, people stall or waffle because they can't make up their minds. Sometimes they get
intimidated by more powerful opponents, or they have some fear you have not yet identified. The next
paragraph deals with some general approaches for neutralizing your opponents' tactics, whatever they may
be.

HOW CAN YOU DEAL WITH OPPOSITION?

All right, you know that your opponents have several ways they can try to make your cause a tough one to
achieve. Your opponents could use one of the previously mentioned tactics, or they could use a
combination of several to thwart your efforts. The lingering question is: "What can you do about it?"
Luckily, you have a lot of options to neutralize their attacks. In general, you don't want to use an "overkill"
approach, as it may cause you to lose a chance for negotiation. What you do want to do is use a strategy
that corresponds both to the type and level of resistance from your opponents.
Here are some very useful techniques for responding to your opponents:
PREVENTION
One of the best ways to prevent opposition is to plan in advance what you're going to do, and convince
potential opponents to either join you, or at least to not actively oppose you.
You and your group know that the local hospital won't like your group starting a new prenatal clinic in
your community, but you could convince them that the hospital will benefit from it.
MEET WITH YOUR OPPONENT
Discuss your differences, it could be the opposition is caused by miscommunication or a lack of
understanding about the issue.
 Some community members may oppose a sexuality education program at the local grade school because
they think it's about teaching sexual techniques to the kids. You might explain that this is not the case, the
class is about decision-making skills, refusal skills, life skills and relationships with family, friends and
others in their lives.
DEVELOP WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS
You can focus on a solution that meets both of your shared interests.
 You might work with a local grocer to offer low fat food choices, while you promote a low-fat, heart-
healthy diet.
TURN NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
Often times, what may at first be seen as a negative situation can be used to your advantage.
If your group is being sued, your group could counter sue. This would put your opponent on the defensive.
Or, you may use their attack to gather sympathy with the community. For example, you can say your right
to free speech is being suppressed.
LABELING YOUR OPPONENT'S TACTICS
Your opponent's tactics lose power when those tactics are openly identified.
 Your opponent is trying to use the "divide and conquer" tactic on your group. If you recognize that this is
what your opponent is doing, and label it openly, it may refocus your group and direct anger against your
opponent instead.
Or, perhaps your opponent makes "token" concessions. If you publicly recognize them as "mere tokens"
and reject them, it assures the public and your group that a better outcome is expected than what was
offered.
Let others know about tactics your opponent is using at your meetings, through the media, etc.
FRAME THE DEBATE ON YOUR TERMS
Convey the issue in terms of how your group thinks about it; you don't want to be constantly on the
defensive, only responding to your opponent's arguments.
If the issue was banning smoking in indoor public places, you would want to say it protects the rights of
people to breathe clean air rather than talking about the rights of people to smoke cigarettes.
BALANCE AND ILLUSION
You should respond to your opponents' counterattacks with a variety of strategies, so they don't have time
to anticipate and prepare for your moves. Similarly, if you can trick your opponent into wrongly guessing
your intentions, it also gives you an advantage in keeping your opponent off-balance.
In one debate between the tobacco industry and a public health advocate, the advocate argued for the right
of the smoker to sue tobacco companies for health damages, rather than arguing against smoker's rights,
which is what usually occurs in these debates.
CONSIDER YOUR OPPONENT'S PSYCHOLOGY
Your opponent may be seeking solutions to the problem; if so, your group may be able to join in the effort.
 A company may be aware that emissions from its factory are too high, but doesn't know how to reduce
them. Perhaps your group has some expertise in industrial health and could help.
In these situations you can define the problem, but don't immediately suggest solutions. This way you let
your opponent keep their autonomy. Eventually, your group might suggest solutions for a "trial period," so
as to leave the opponents with other options.
TURNING YOUR OPPONENT'S ASSETS INTO LIABILITIES
Your group might be in a situation where your opponents' power greatly outweighs your own. Generally,
this method involves your group persisting with nonviolent strategies until the opposition responds heavy-
handedly out of frustration.
Eventually, this can result in a shift of support and sympathy towards your group and your cause.
Previously uninvolved observers who see a group being severely repressed because of their belief in a
principle may move toward that group. Usual supporters of your opponent may question the use of
violence against your nonviolence and may begin to question your opponents' overall motivation.
 Your group has picketed for many months outside a company known for dumping toxic waste illegally.
The company president got sick of you all, and decided to have everyone arrested for trespassing. This
might gather support of uninterested people who thought you were harmlessly expressing your right to free
speech.
CONCENTRATE STRENGTHS AGAINST WEAKNESSES
It's that obvious, use your strengths against your opponent's weaknesses.
 Anti-smoking advocates have substantial scientific and medical evidence supporting their claims of the
dangers of cigarettes, while tobacco industry "scientific" data on the health hazards of smoking is shady at
best.
KNOW WHEN TO NEGOTIATE
In most cases, when you settle your dispute with your opponent, there will be a compromise. Your group
should be aware of signs that might indicate such a negotiation is possible. These signs are often hidden in
statements by the opposition.
Let's suppose your opponent's spokesman was quoted referring to your group saying: "Since they are so
irresponsible, I doubt they would consider meeting with us." In this case, your opponent may be offering
an opportunity to meet, even though their language is somewhat negative.
On the other hand, you may not want to offer negotiations, as this can make your group appear weak.

IN SUMMARY
While many health and community building efforts may attract opposition, anticipating and analyzing that
opposition can prepare you to deal with it successfully. The best ways to neutralize opponents involve
turning them into allies by finding win-win alternatives to hard and fast positions. Even when this ideal
isn't possible, however, you can counter opposition tactics by recognizing whom you have to deal with, the
amount and nature of the power they can bring to bear, and how your own strengths and weaknesses might
affect the conflict. If you analyze the situation carefully and accurately, and have some empathy for your
adversaries, you should be able to overcome most opposition.
___You know why it is important to identify your opponents
___You know how to identify your opponents
___You know how to discover what your opponents might lose
___You know how to determine your opponents' power
You can recognize the following tactics your opponents may use:
___Deflect
___Delay
___Deny
___Discount
___Deceive
___Divide
___Dulcify
___Discredit
___Destroy
___Deal
___Surrender
You know how to use the following tactics to deal with your opponents:
___Prevention
___Meeting with opponents
___Develop win-win solutions
___Turn negatives into positives
___Label your opponents' tactics
___Frame the debate on your terms
___Balance and illusion
___Consider your opponents psychology
___Turn your opponents' assets into liabilities
___Concentrate strengths against weaknesses
___Know when to negotiate

Introduction
Two tried and tested ways of gaining policy influence are to:

 Build up your support base - gather allies

 Neutralize your opposition - weaken your opposition (strategically or tactically)

Advocacy Tool

Tool 9. Force Field Analysis

Use this tool to map the strengths of the actors who support change, and those who resist change.

Build Your Support Base

Formal linkages with other organizations (coalitions, networks and alliances) are dealt with in Module 4 –
Networking & Alliances - but this is not the only way to increase your support base. Other options are
to:

 Obtain messages of support from influential organizations and individuals

 Persuade other organizations and influential individuals to take on board your issue (even if this is
not their primary issue, and they are not interested in joint advocacy)
 Persuade donors (or international organizations) to raise your issue in negotiations with decision
makers
It is often easier to obtain this sort of support if your issue is high profile or popular. Media coverage can
raise its profile, and thus its support base. Celebrities and high profile individuals can be keen to be
associated with the ‘issues of the day’, as this will help their popularity.

Networks and alliances are usually formed from like-minded organizations, but unusual allies can also be
useful to an advocacy campaign. Whilst motivations for support may differ, it will help your cause if
more organizations are pressing for the same outcomes. For example, national slaughterhouses may
support a campaign to ban the export of live animals. Think outside the box when considering potential
allies – but beware of any potential risk to your reputation through ‘unholy alliances’.

Neutralize Your Opposition

As regards neutralizing your opposition, this entails knowing them well, in particular: their beliefs,
motivations, weaknesses and limitations. You can neutralize by:
 Exposing falsehoods (destroying arguments)
 Refuting their points (answering arguments)
Both of these can be done verbally or practically (e.g. by using pilot studies).

You can also make the opposition a target of your advocacy, trying to convert them to your solutions.

Use Effective Arguments

A range of arguments can be used in support of different issues e.g.:

 Altruistic: For the sake of those affected

 Moral/ethical: It is morally right
 International acceptance: As above, but playing on a country's desire for international acceptance
and regard (particularly useful when there are international conventions or standards)
 Democracy: The 'people want it'
 Protecting the country's 'heritage': For example, as regards the protection of indigenous animals, or
their habitats
 Social/humanistic: Failure to act could have an adverse impact upon society, sectors of society, or
the country’s individuals
 Public health: protecting public or animal health
 Ownership/responsibility: Encouraging responsibility
 Economic: Economic costs of inaction
NB. It is often the case that whilst the higher arguments hold more moral force, the lower arguments
hold more sway (as they directly affect vested interests). Influence can be gained through
understanding these different arguments, and being able to use them effectively.

Understanding and Exploiting Weaknesses

When you research your targets and opposition you will come across weaknesses (personal or role) that
can be strategically exploited in order to gain influence. These might include:

 Elected politicians – Ego and vanity (play on their desire for profile, publicity and votes)
 Politicians aides – Intrigue and influence (use their skill at politics and influencing)
 Bureaucrats – Lethargy/laziness (use their desire to save work and effort)
 Opposition – The ‘ethical watchdog’ (use their role of watching and exposing government)
Of course, these are simple generalizations. It is always preferable to know individuals, rather than
making broad assumptions.

As far as political influence is concerned, remember that election time is ‘crazy season’! Prospective
politicians will agree to much more, if they feel it will be beneficial to their election campaign. But
consider very carefully before you make deals with politicians. You need to be committed to your cause
for the long-term, and with credibility. You will need to be sure that any short-term deals do not bring
risks to your work.

Understand and Counter Prejudices

You will come across various prejudices as you try to influence others on your issue. These may include
the following:

 Your issue seen as marginal issue

 Your issue seen as low priority (to be tackled ‘later’)
 Your issue seen as a luxury consideration
Possible ways to overcome/answer these prejudices are:

 Opinion surveys (polls) to demonstrate popular support

 Show that the situation can improve without substantial cost
 Show the potential costs of inactivity
 Refer to neighboring countries where the issue has been addressed – use national pride (‘Our
country is lagging behind’)