I was told that, too.

What first comes to mind is that it might have been suggested to me when I was bullied and not accepted with the popular girls in elementary school.

I didn’t take it as a negative thing, and thought it was said with good intentions. I think it is meant to encourage you to be manipulative. Like “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. If they didn’t like me, maybe I could get them to by becoming their follower and win them over.

It didn’t work, though. Those girls just didn’t like me and continued to bully.