Sadly being a jerk can be a vicious cycle. With rising anger and bitterness about how poorly your contributions are received, it may be virtually impossible to present a smiling and upbeat facade to the world—when you're tired, when you're stressed, in a job interview for example or after making a presentation. So for all those here who think "don't be a jerk" is a valid defence for their own unwillingness to brook criticism, just think how many promising careers, then lives, are destroyed by this mechanism.