[laininthewired]

Interesting.. I've heard the phrase spun the opposite way.. Unless it was a typo?

probably a rewritten version. plenty of losers twist Niccolo Machiavelli's words because it doesn't align with their lovey dovey hippie views

I'm sure people like to twist phrases to suit their views. Do you find that  being feared is useful / important to you?

In the rare case that I'm in a leadership position yes. Other than that I feel like being Machiavellian is of no use to me.
Of course, my school isn't as competitive, and things may change when I go off to uni next year.