Title: Why is it better to be feared than loved according to Machiavelli? - Quora
Headings: 
Why is it better to be feared than loved according to Machiavelli?
Quora User
Duy Truong
Mark Krijgsman
Robert Wrigley
Jonathan M. Jacobs
Gawaine Ross

Content: Thus the ideal situation for a ruler is to be both feared and loved. The reason for this is simple: humans will support someone they love most of the time, but that love is limited as a motivation: other loves, and dangers, can cause the subjects to no longer support the ruler. A ruler that is loved is loved only as long as that love can lead to gain for the subjects: once their power weakens, their subjects quickly forget their love. In contrast, if the subjects fear the ruler, that fear will act as a stronger guarantee of support: a ruler that is feared will be supported out of fear of what lack of support will lead to. A good example of this is Machiavelli's thoughts of Savonarolla: Girolamo Savonarola.