Why do so many men in RealLife -- specifically, my father and little brother -- feel the need to act like this?

TestosteronePoisoning? Real men EAT KNIVES AND SHIT DIAMONDS. Wait what.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

I act like this. Simply put, I was kind of the runt growing up, the only girl with three brothers. You have to be rough and stand-offish. It's a survival technique.

This trope pretty much describes the way I act. Honestly, I'm not a bad person, but since I was a little kid I've been an easy victim, bullied by almost the entire class, so I decided to act like a complete jerk, at least, they leave me alone.

You're not alone bro. This particular troper didn't even have any respect from his friends until he started being a jerk.

I also went through this many of the other boys didn't show me any respect until I beat them up.

Same here; I went from being bullied to almost becoming a bully, and I was quite the agressive little tomboy when I was young. I've mellowed out since, but still have some agressive tendencies.

This troper acts like this with some people. He even says it's the second of a triple personality: "Good, Bad and Ugly".

This troper's neighbor's grandson attempts to maintain one of these at times. He's very slender despite an enormous appetite, and when asked where all the food goes, he replies, "Into the big empty space in my chest where my heart should be." Unfortunately, his facade is not very believable, as he's quite possibly the sweetest and most well-mannered sixteen-year-old boy you'll ever meet.

So why's he doing this?

Maybe he thinks it's funny (it kinda is)? Or cool? Or perhaps he think that if he's a dick, people won't mess with him. There is some precedent for that, after all.

The fact that he's 16 causes me to suspect that he may be trying to invoke AllGirlsWantBadBoys.

Many girls in our school. I guess it's because of so many guys being morons, assholes, boring or otherwise repulsive. They only soften to you after they've somehow confirmed you ''are'' a wonderful guy after all. Two of them actually stalked me for days. Other than that, they were really nice girls. Am I creepy for being flattered?

This Troper acts like this as a defensive measure. With the exception of people who actually know me, everyone I have ever met probably considers me a reclusive misanthropic emotionless bastard. I am really... a reclusive misanthropic emotionless bastard, just far less than I may project.

What the? I don't remember posting anything here.

I must be having serious memory loss.

Definitely this Troper. He started being a Jerkass after he realized that there was no way he'd survive his high school without becoming this. It's worked rather well, aside from the fact that he's now finding it hard to tell where the facade begins and ends.

Kulture here, and I invoke this trope regularly. However I'm afraid of {{Becoming the mask}} on this one.

This troper, mainly because he just finds it hard to be nice in person.

This troper's boyfriend combines this beautifully with MagnificentBastard. He acts like a jerk, but he is actually quite kind in a way that's rather hard to explain.

Unfortunately, ThisTroper. What's really annoying is that it sort of happens... (ie: I snap at someone, am crabby in-general, etc...) ... then I realize what a jerk I've been several minutes later. It's pretty much entirely due to shyness to the Nth degree, which among other things caused heaps of bullying through school, from first great all the way through graduation. Understandably by those last couple years I'd become rather... grouchy... to compensate. Unfortunately now that that's long over... I can't seem to shut the damn thing off. (Which I'll add is really annoying because I'm actually pretty nice under it all >.<). Thankfully I can avert it pretty easily online - I'm much more "me" online than off. A LighterAndSofter me, heh <.<

Beautiful. That's me down to a T. Thank you so much, OP.

This Troper right here. I'm considered kind of stand-offish and cold to a lot of people when I first meet them. I know I have tendency to roll my eyes and I know my tone a voice can be quite rude. But it's a defense mechanism. I'm really a nice person (most people see that) but I have to have some way to defend myself from people using me. Once people get to know me and I start trusting them they see how nice I am. Most people end up liking me in the end, which is good though.

While more acting then anything, this troper is regarded on some sites for acting like an incredibly snarky and hostile person. In reality, though, I'm usually incredibly cheerful and will stop at nothing to help anybody.

This Troper crosses between this and StepfordSmiler, mostly due to emotional trauma caused by many varied and unrelated things, and being a closeted lesbian transsexual. This troper often adds Cloudcuckoolander into the mix as well.

This troper watched a little too many sitcoms, cartoons and DiscoveryChannel in her childhood and pre teen years. Result?...This trope, at least until I grew up.

This Troper is a very odd case: due to being a victim of certain people in his younger years and a love for {{House}} he got himself one, but it has taken over so now I can be considered a (self-loathing) dick.

All right, I'll admit that I do act blunter and a little nastier at school. Hey, the popular girls would never leave me alone if I didn't! On the bright side, having a JerkassFacade helped me develop my DeadpanSnarker personality (which I thoroughly enjoy).

This troper was like this in hs. It still shows up from time to time.

This troper had a very dear friend who can be a complete asshole to everone at first, or if he gets too attached to them, but underneath that, he's sweet and romantic. I have to say; I love him.

This troper towards her friends. She (usually) acts kind of snarky and sarcastic when she is with them but they are pretty much the most important thing in her life(even though she would never admit it to them). Bloody hell, I start CRYING when I have to think that we might be apart someday!!

This troper is a variation. Instead of acting like a jerk, she acts cold. She's actually a ShrinkingViolet. When it's not on the internet. Then she's a mostly quiet, albeit childish CloudCuckoolander. I think it's some sort of defense mechanism towards strangers I've adopted.

I act like this as well. I'm usually a nice person, but my anger and bitterness then changes me into a snarky, selfish, ill-tempered, self-centered asshole who treats those close to me like shit, and I don't think that being a pushover and insecure is much of an excuse. I think I'm just a BitchInSheepsClothing or just a Yangire. Or just bipolar.