Snake should hiss or atleast show its hood - Sanskrit - Chanakya

Courtesy: Sri.K.V.Anantha Narayanan

निर्विषेणाऽपि सर्पेण कर्तव्या महती फणा।
विषमप्यस्तु माऽप्यस्तु घटाटोपो भयङ्करः॥
चाणक्यनीत्यां
nirviṣeṇā'pi sarpeṇa kartavyā mahatī phaṇā|
viṣamapyastu mā'pyastu ghaṭāṭopo bhayaṅkaraḥ||
cāṇakyanītyāṁ

Even if a serpent is not having venom any more it should raise up its hood and make a show.. The show of strength and creating a lot of noise can instil fear on others and save you..

The master statesman is just spelling out a stark reality of life.. People go by appearances.. When we see a snake we are stuck by fear.. However if the snake is very meek and simply keeps quiet, we will throw stones at it, even if it is poisonous. But if its raises its hood and makes hissing noises, we will normally bolt away, and it is not likely that we are going to stay near the snake and make a verification whether there is poison in its fangs..
And this is how many people survive.. It is not the inherent worth of a person that matters.. Usually we get away with show offs.. 
Tinsel world survive on make-ups.. Politicians survive on the gift of the gab.. And we survive in Facebook executing Chanakya's above dictum so faithfully..