# Why we have jerks. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 11, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030 "2014-02-11T03:44:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/1 "2014-02-11T03:44:04Z")
[Why we have jerks](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lddf5rLyHa1qdbblao1_500.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/2 "2014-02-11T04:07:08Z")
Nice! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/3 "2014-02-11T04:16:07Z")
I always thought it was to make the rest of us look goodā€¦in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/4 "2014-02-11T05:18:25Z")
I hear itā€™s highly contagious. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/5 "2014-02-11T05:59:50Z")
Do we have a policy (possibly unwritten) at SDMB of tolerating a certain (small) percentage of jerks just to keep this board interesting? Maybe we only cull the jerks here when we exceed our quota of them. ---
**Author:** ![sentrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@sentrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sentrix)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/6 "2014-02-11T09:26:36Z")
what are the origins of ā€˜jerkā€™? why put people in boxes? difference and spice is good as long as its not vitriolic or attack mode. you have many posters here who are not amerikan. jerk is a schoolyard bully term. surly educated users can come up with a different terminology. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/7 "2014-02-11T12:01:12Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > what are the origins of ā€˜jerkā€™? See: [http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/373/](http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/373/) ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/8 "2014-02-11T12:19:12Z")
Iā€™m pretty sure that as He was using the jerk shaker, the top fell off and a few too many jerks got loose. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/9 "2014-02-11T12:54:23Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Iā€™m pretty sure that as He was using the jerk shaker, the top fell off and a few too many jerks got loose. Some jerk thought it would be funny to loosen the top. Damn kids!!! ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/10 "2014-02-11T13:09:53Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > surly educated users can come up with a different terminology. Surely they indeed can! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/11 "2014-02-11T13:29:56Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Surely they indeed can! šŸ˜ƒ They can . . . and stop calling me surly! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/12 "2014-02-11T13:53:57Z")
Unfortunately that is an old shaker jar and as everybody knows jerks can degrade into assholes if stored too long. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/13 "2014-02-11T15:08:29Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > jerk is a schoolyard bully term. surly educated users can come up with a different terminology. > [@74westy](#): > > They can . . . and stop calling me surly! Iā€™m not sure it was a spelling error. I mean, if you assume a comma was missing instead, the sentence says ā€œsurly, educated users can come up with a different terminology.ā€ Iā€™m sure we have plenty of surly users and educated users; thereā€™s got to be some overlap. Maybe we should poll those who self-identify as surly, educated users and see if they can come up with a better term than ā€œjerk.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/14 "2014-02-11T15:48:02Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > why put people in boxes? The better to ban them! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/15 "2014-02-11T16:14:29Z")
Dude should be wearing a hairnet. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/16 "2014-02-11T16:32:53Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > ā€¦ jerk is a schoolyard bully termā€¦ You must have some pretty mild-mannered schoolyards where you come from. Whenever I find myself wanting to call someone a bad name, I substitute ā€œjerkā€ and feel satisfied that I have not engaged in hyperbole. Thatā€™s one lesson I carry with me from SDMB. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/17 "2014-02-11T16:49:55Z")
**WARNING! Uses adult language.** Might not be safe for work, but makes the point very clearly, I think. [IMGACE - Unbiased Product Reviews](http://imgace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/be-cool-dont-be-an-asshole.jpg) šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/18 "2014-02-11T17:27:25Z")
My phone just rang, and the caller ID said ā€œJerk Store.ā€ Any of you know what this could be about? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/19 "2014-02-11T17:41:47Z")
Well, if theyā€™re calling you, itā€™s because youā€™re their best customer. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030/20 "2014-02-11T18:51:06Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Do we have a policy (possibly unwritten) at SDMB of tolerating a certain (small) percentage of jerks just to keep this board interesting? Maybe we only cull the jerks here when we exceed our quota of them. And feeding them to lions while children watch? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-jerks/681030.md?page=2)