Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <meaning-in-context><tense><difference>
Title: What is the difference between "you are being" and "you are"?
Question: Having a debate on whether "You are being a jerk" and "You are a jerk" have the same meaning in context. Are you calling someone a jerk if you state they are "being" a jerk or is the context that they are portraying qualities of a jerk?

Answers:
sents: text: There is a pretty visible distinction between both, and this example displays one of the main uses of continuous present.
text: You are being a jerk Means that you're a jerk right now , on the matter at hand.
text: You are a jerk.
text: Is way more general and is used to express your opinion about the person.
text: However, you could say "you're such a jerk" on the moment because you're furious, but then not think so any more.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/34550/MadWard
score: 37
sents: text: You are being a jerk.
text: He/she is not a jerk, but at that time he/she is acting like one.
text: Or portraying the qualities of a jerk.
text: You are a jerk.
text: It's a fact.
text: The person is a jerk.
text: This can also mean that the person is acting like a jerk at the time of speaking.
text: Without context, it's not really possible to determine whether they have different or same meaning.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/20213/Usernew
score: 20
sents: text: Saying "You are" implies a quality that is deeply engrained in someone or rather a quality they have little to no control over and/or unable to change on demand.
text: Whereas saying "You are being" implies a quality that one could easily change at will.
text: Sometimes you can't refer to someone as "being", such as if you were to say, "You are tall.
text: " You couldn't say, "You are being tall" because that is not a quality that someone can easily change.
text: Saying of someone "You are a jerk" would be more insulting than saying "You are being a jerk".
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/34717/Jody
score: 10
sents: text: " You are being " is happening right now.
text: The targeted individual is presently behaving the way described.
text: You are being silly. -- They are doing something silly right now.
text: You are being mean.
text: -- They are doing something mean right now.
text: You are being argumentative.
text: - They are being argumentative right now.
text: " You are " is what the targeted individual is in a broad, constant sense.
text: You are silly.
text: -- They aren't behaving in a silly way, they are a silly person.
text: You are mean. -- They aren't being mean, they are a mean person.
text: You are argumentative. -- They aren't arguing, they are an argumentative person.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/6002/pixiesquisher
score: 7
sents: text: You are being is about a continuous sentence
text: But You are is an information about that guy .
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/34773/user163743
score: 2
sents: text: Imagine two people side by side, one a selfish Jerk and one who is compassionate.
text: Either one has the option of acting out a quality of the other, compassionate can be (are being) a jerk or selfish and the Jerk, although a Jerk, can be compassionate.
text: "Are being" or "being" does imply acting out "right now" and the implication is that you are still what you started out as.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/34815/Twill
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Without context, it's not really possible to determine whether they have different or same meaning. Saying "You are" implies a quality that is deeply engrained in someone. Whereas saying "You are being" implies a quality that may easily change.  You are being a jerk   means that you're a jerk  at the moment.   Saying  "You are a jerk" to someone would be more insulting than saying "You are being a jerk".
Whether there is a difference in meaning depends on the context. However, as a general rule, "You are" attributes a constant, deeply engrained quality to the targeted person that they cannot change, a state they have no control over. "You are being" is used for a quality that can change, something that is happening right now and is not something permanent. Therefore, "You are a jerk" is more offensive than "You are being a jerk".