I had to learn, while young, to walk away from jerks, cretins and morons...I learned they hit back, and sometimes they hit hard!
During my career in the Navy, believe me when I say I encountered more than my share (in fact, possibly as many as ALL our shares) of jerks and cretins. Yes, of course, there were a few morons in every batch, but they generally stayed out of the way.
Of course, when you relocate every two or three years, you have to maintain a great deal of flexibility. Some of the cretinous/jerkish behavior you encounter is not really the norm for the individuals displaying it. Sometimes there is fear and uncertainty in folks who then set up barriers making them seem like cretins and jerks. And sometimes, they are simply hanging around powerful cretins/jerks and yearning to be cut free. Thus, you learn to detect the loose masonry and can then chip away at the walls to bring those souls out into the light.
But yes, there are born jerks. And cretins are a natural part of the order of things. I don't think it's learned behavior in the worst of them -- it's definitely genetic.
Today, I find myself "Braking for Morons."
I think it's more fun to find kindred spirits with whom I can laugh and laugh and laugh at the jerks/cretins. It's good karma, I believe, to have a way to feel good about people who thrive on being boors.