Many have argued that Jacob was goading Ben or somehow being antagonistic towards him. I don't think it's that simple. I posit that Jacob was not being a dick at all, and his "what about you" response actually reflects the central conflict of free will versus determinism.
If you remember, Ben ranted at Jacob portraying himself as a victim. But what is a victim? It is one whose fate is determined negatively by the actions of someone else. In other words, a victim is the antithesis of what Jacob stands for, namely free will. So, rather than engage with Ben in his deterministic "I am a victim" argument, Jacob responded with a simple question that underlines that Ben's fate was determined by Ben's choices. "What *about* you" was saying that BEN, not Jacob, has to provide the answer and resulting actions, that the ball was in Ben's court.
If you remember, Ben ranted at Jacob portraying himself as a victim. But what is a victim? It is one whose fate is determined negatively by the actions of someone else. In other words, a victim is the antithesis of what Jacob stands for, namely free will. So, rather than engage with Ben in his deterministic "I am a victim" argument, Jacob responded with a simple question that underlines that Ben's fate was determined by Ben's choices. "What *about* you" was saying that BEN, not Jacob, has to provide the answer and resulting actions, that the ball was in Ben's court.
