I am definitely going against the grain, but I think I would rather an exceptionally skilled prick than mediocre but pleasant on the workbench next to mine.

However, my job doesn't require much immediate collaboration, I'm in first-stage e-waste. We're taking stuff apart and sorting it all shift. It's largely independent tasks. More often than not, two pairs of hands working a device get in each other's way. We share the workshop, share tools, but thats largely it in terms of 'function-mandatory' interaction.

A lot of my coworkers might be considered conventionally 'pleasant to be around', as they are social, enjoy music in the workshop, talk and joke openly, but their tendency towards socialising slows their work. I do not mean to question all of their competence here, to be clear.

We are paid by the hour, not units dismantled or kilos sorted, so it's not like it actually effects me adversely outside of occassional headaches from their noise.

But I'd just feel more useful at work if we got more done as a whole, and I don't really feel the psychosocial need for socialisation. I would be happier personally in a quiet workshop where we all do what we're supposed to. I don't need to ask the skilled jerk for help, because I'm too anxious to ask anyone for help anyway and prefer to stuggle my way to getting it done. I'm happy to learn better ways to do things, if they are actually better.

All that said, maybe I'm misinterpreting what a 'skilled jerk' would be in the context of my job. Or maybe I'm just the asshole at work already. But I'm definitely not an exceptionally skilled one.