Why Jerks Make More $$$

[BABY1]

TweetYour combative coworker isn’t just a jerk, he’s a well-paid jerk: Men who were classified by a personality test as “highly disagreeable” tend to make roughly 18 percent more annually (an average of $9,700 more a year!) than men who scored as most agreeable, according to a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The research pooled the results of four long-term studies that sampled close to 10,000 workers. Each study measured levels of “agreeableness,” from most agreeable (men who value relationships) to disagreeable (men who are aggressive and more interested in themselves).
Not only are highly disagreeable paid more, the results showed, they’re also evaluated more positively due to their aggression.

Gender roles typically classify men as dominant, so it seems that the guys who are aggressive are rewarded. Guys who are more reserved are punished because they’re viewed as passive—not able to ‘get the job done,’—explains study coauthor Beth A. Livingston, an assistant professor of human resource studies at Cornell University.
Previous research shows that speaking up and acting assertively can help workers achieve a higher-status jobs than just their technical skills would suggest.
So wait—does this mean you should become a complete D-bag in order to reach success? Not. Even. Close. Your play: Make sure your superiors know what you’re up to.


“People often pay attention to those who speak up,” says Livingston. “Managers are only human, so if the ‘jerk’ in the corner is the loudest in the room, that’s where the attention is drawn to.” Make your contributions heard, she says. Don’t shy away from mentioning your accomplishments, staying late, and taking on unfavorable tasks—these are all easy opportunities that make you “raise-worthy.”

[Dzone]

TweetYa, I know a few jerks. One guy is such a jerk that he knows everybody thinks he is a jerk and he just laughs about it. Nobody can stand him. Ya, he is rolling in the dough and screws people over all the time and doesnt bat an eye.

[Michelle Hayden]

TweetI tend to disagree that they are "jerks". Men that are agressive and dont go with the flow get what they want and know how to get it. It is because of this that they are successful, not because they are jerk, although like anyone, dif ppl can not be likeable.