45 Most Absurd Cases Of Weaponized Incompetence That Women Shared In This Thread
Interview“Honey, will you do the laundry? I just don’t know how you like it.”
“I can’t seem to find the vacuum, will you just go get it?”
“But if I mop the floors, they won’t be up to your standards!”
If you’ve ever heard similar excuses from your partner as to why they can’t do something, chances are you’re familiar with weaponized incompetence. And while this term may not be a part of everyone's vocabulary, plenty of people do know this frustrating experience all too well.
A few weeks ago, @Cooperstreaming on Twitter asked others to detail their most absurd experiences with weaponized incompetence, and plenty of people had examples ready to go. So below, you’ll find some of their most infuriating stories, as well as conversations with Cooper and Ann Park, MD.
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Please tell me you served the burned burgers. Even better if you had guests over. Just explain to them why they are burned and let him be embarrassed.
Both should be embarrassed to foist their inability to get along with each other on guests in that situation, though. It’s not some sort of triumph to live with a jerk who ruins dinner out of spite.
Load More Replies...People like that are not getting better. Either he values a pun more than doing his fair share or he's convinced it's not his 'job' to do anything and this is his way of punishing OP for daring to ask him to 'help out'. In both cases he's not a keeper.
Anyone who ruins food on purpose gets to eat it. While the person who makes the good food gets to eat that.
You know, even the laziest a*s could have SAID they were about to burn. This is just deliberately cruel for the sake of a "joke" that was only funny to him.
I'd not eat that. Could be poisonous, loaded with so much toxicity as he is.
Load More Replies...I'm trying to be fair here. If he didn't know how to cook, he may not have known they were ready to be flipped, and she didn't tell him he might have to do so. (I'm thinking of my SIL, whom I love dearly, but who can't boil water without instructions.) Unless it was obvious he did this maliciously...
While the term weaponized incompetence was not coined until a few years ago, the experience and behavior is one many people have been familiar with for generations. Using excuses to get out of doing tasks someone else can do for you, or feigning ignorance when it’s time to wash the dishes, grocery shop or make dinner is a toxic behavior that far too many people view as harmless.
So to gain more insight on the topic, we reached out to board-certified psychiatrist, therapist and coach, Ann Park, MD. Lucky for us, Dr. Park was willing to shine a light on what exactly weaponized incompetence is. “Weaponized incompetence happens when one partner in a relationship is somehow unable to pull their weight, leaving the other person to do the heavy lifting,” she explained. “This can include managing household chores, completing work projects, or handling emotional responsibility in the relationship.”
I mean nobody likes changing nappies but it has to be done. What an a*****e
It isn't like they smell bad until weaning at 6 months either. It's just pathetic
Load More Replies...Friend of mines ex wife only had one arm. He said something rude to her cause he was trying to show off in front of his friends and she told him to knock it off or she was gonna punch him in the face. He said "Go ahead and try it", laughing at her. She split his lip and put him on his a*s. He got embarrassed and tried saying she sucker punched him. I slapped him myself after he said that. For 1, she warned your a*s! And second...SHE ONLY HAS ONE ARM! You obviously know which way it's coming from.
Divorce!! This guy let someone with one hand change all diapers for three children? If you love someone, you fight through the smell. Guess what? Literally nobody likes changing diapers, and the smell is quite intolerable for much of the population.
I changed both my kids regularly when they were little. For me, what I did for them was the same as doing it for myself. I never felt it was gross or icky ... okay. Not true. The older one had a habit during winter, where, when you opened the diaper and the cool air hit, he'd feel compelled to try to pee all over you. My wife and I learned to keep one hand on the diaper to close it quick. If that hits you in the face ... okay, that was gross. But other than that, it was never a problem. Also, I gotta say: cloth diapers were way less trouble than I thought they were going to be, and so much cheaper. We just used disposable when we'd be out somewhere.
@similarly, thanks for the laughs! Hahaha 🤣
Load More Replies...How did she decide to have 2 more kids with him after he was a jerk to her with the first one?! My ex wouldn't change diapers either or several other things to help parent... that made the decision for me that I wouldn't have another child with him.
Jerk. I don't know why she had 3 kids with him. I don't like changing diapers, but I've done it for my nieces and nephews. Not My kids, because I don't have any, but my siblings kids. And he can't do his own? SMH.
If someone did this to me, I would smack them in the back of the head with a sock full of pennies.
I one had a coworker tel me that he had not done laundry since after he first got married because the first time he purposefully messed up everything as bad as possible on purpose until she took over. Made my blood boil.
So he messed up the marriage in a way that she won't marry him again.
While Dr. Park says there is no hard data available on how frequently weaponized incompetence occurs, it appears to be common, and people often immediately recognize what it is. “Weaponized incompetence tends to happen when one partner has difficulty setting firm limits, and the other partner steps into that gap,” the expert explained.
We were also curious how individuals should respond when their partner attempts to use this tactic to get out of doing something. “When you notice yourself feeling resentful or stressed about the balance in a relationship, pay attention to those feelings,” she says. “They are giving you important information. Take time on your own to identify the areas where you feel you're overworking. This can include emotional overwork. Then bring your thoughts to your partner and ask them to join you in creating a healthier balance. In a good relationship, your partner should be willing to step up to meet your concerns until you both find a mutually acceptable outcome.”
Hmmm… there are a few different methods here. Pull out his chest hairs with an old pair of pliers. Though, I will say, putting piranhas in his bath tub would be more effective. It is more pricey, but I would say it’s worth the investment.
Never mess with food in front of exhausted and hungry person… It’s been 7 years, but I haven’t still forgotten time my MIL, FIL and SIL dropped in to see our 2 week old baby. They said they’ll be making us some food so I can relax. I hadn’t eaten well, or anything freshly made, in two weeks so I was almost crying. When the food was done, my baby decided it was feeding+sleeping time. I was gone for 20 minutes, and when I came back, everybody had ate all the food. My blood still boils remembering it.
Oh gods, that stinks. It makes my blood boil just *reading* this! I hope someone stepped up and got you food afterwards, or at least apologized
Load More Replies...See, if I don't feel like cooking I just text "pizza?" and an hour later no one had to cook or do dishes. What he did was just mean.
Then turn the tables on him. Stop cooking for him. Stop doing his laundry. Stop grocery shopping for him. Leave him. Let his mom do it all cause obviously he hasn't grown up yet.
Ì grew up in a house where who ever was home was the one who made food, If my mom worked late my dad made food and my mom made food if my dad worked late
The only time I could imagine doing this is if you had a partner that was stupidly fussy about food or was super unpredictable about when they'd get home. Doesn't sound like either in this case though.
Do you still talk to Don't Hold Magnets Near Big Fans Worm?
Load More Replies...Hmm, I'd like to know what they were trying to cook in the microwave. If it was something simple like heating up a frozen meal that's a no-brainer. But if it's actually *cooking* something that could be understandable. I wouldn't know how long or what settings I should use to try to cook a steak in a microwave for example.
We have microwave more or less just for my husband to heat food and popcorn. I prefer stove for everything.
@Gabriela Cink, me too. I rarely use the microwave. I love the stove or toaster oven!
Load More Replies...One hopes that's *why* he's the ex, I don't think I would've kept him around after that nonsense.
Load More Replies...Don't call it weaponised incompetence, call it what it is: major a$$hole
Yes, this is next level. Mere weaponised incompetence would have been something more harmless, like forgetting to add detergent.
Load More Replies...I would intentionally drop his phone in the toilet on my way out the door saying “Because I don’t want you to ever call me again”
That’s wilful damage! How can one ruin stuff (even if only clothes) on purpose??
I'll never ask you to do my laundry again, but I'll also never do yours again. (I'm a 54 year old man. My mother took me into the laundry room when I was about 13 and pointed to the knobs on the washer and dryer and asked, "Can you reach that?" She then taught me how to do laundry, and I've been doing my own laundry ever since. I've been married over 25 years, and I don't think my wife has done my laundry once. I've also never done hers.)
Dr. Park also shared how we can teach people to stop using this kind of behavior. “Practice, practice, practice,” she told Bored Panda. “Just like any other skill, communicating your feelings and setting good boundaries around your personal limits takes practice. Start with a small step, and even rehearse ahead of time what you want to say to your partner. Then share your feelings, and be consistent about holding your limit in place.”
“Over time, both partners can learn to adjust to an equilibrium where each other's feelings and needs are consistently accounted for,” Dr. Park says. “It's the sign of a mutually respectful, healthy relationship.”
If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Ann Park or hear more words of wisdom from her, be sure to visit her Instagram page right here.
I’d believe it. I knew someone who got into Harvard(studying science), and couldn’t boil a pot of water
Load More Replies...First put some water into the kettle then put it on the electric plate/heater/gas stove wait some minutes it's boiled when you see steam, you sweet summer child
(Don't forget to turn that electric plate/heater/gas stove on.)
Load More Replies...You should boil the water for him beforehand. That way he only needs to heat it up in the kettle when he needs boiling water.
No. That idiot needs to learn it himself. Come on, man, 40 and don't know how to boil water?? Wth??
Load More Replies...The kind of guy who keeps a woman around and leads her on, just so she'll wait on him....
Assuming this wasn't an electric kettle... A stovetop kettle will tell you when it's boiling. It's hard to miss, being a whistle at the volume of a jet engine.
Well... Some people have appliances that they have been gifted (house warming etc.). I know a woman who only drinks tea, and had no idea how to use her coffee brewer -- giver and other guests used it themselves... . . Then there are the men whos mommies come now and them and makes them food using the appliances. Other than that, their boys eat out, eat food mommy put in the fridge or taw something from the freezer
So sorry you married that lazy POS, and Good on you he's now you're ex.
Funny enough, every cook, chef and the like I know eat like s**t at home. Like a slice of bread with a bottle of beer. I was incredulous but they told me that they are standing in a kitchen all day long, often doing overtime, and the last thing they want to be doing is to do the same at home. Also, grocery shopping with them. They will (begrudgingly) advise you, only to turn around and buy the reduced can of soup for themselves. 😅
My ex was a chef and my partner of almost 9 years is a chef. He'll watch kitchen nightmares and be shocked about the state of the place. Then he will not put a single thing in the dishwasher and leave food out to spoil.... He needs a kitchen porter for that.
Load More Replies...Birthdays are like one of the most important things to remember about your partner. What a jerk
I think it was his family that never learned her birthday.
Load More Replies...If both partners work full time, then both have an equal responsibility for chores, men shouldn't need telling what to do.
Omg I hate it when my husband needs me to be his @ assistant " I can do that whole job alone but you need your hand held !!!
Oh just go on top of the roof and look around, I'm sure you'll find the dishes spot. These rocks I'm gathering? It's for something else, don't worry about it.
Get out the potato peeler while you’re at it too
Load More Replies...I have seen people who complain because "you hung the coffee mug from the end hook, it belongs on the centre one". So, yeah sometimes you get yelled at because you put stuff away "wrong". Though to be fair, that should count as a red flag in the other direction.
Load More Replies...This can be forgivable if you have a spouse who likes to reorganize things regularly, with no information given before or afterwards. When my wife asks me to get something for her, I frequently have to ask "What is its current assigned location?"
I had to do that growing up, because of my Mom. She'd "reorganize" every month or so, but she was never the one putting stuff away.
Load More Replies...This is going to sound crazy, so bear with me. Generally, one doesn't use up the entire supply of a particular dish or glass. Bearing this in mind, if you OPEN the cabinets, you'll see where everything goes, and it's just a Match-2 game from there.
My husband is always putting certain dishes in the wrong spot.like, he knows where the ones we used most go, but like pans and stuff end up in a different spot pretty often (I cook on the stove more, he prefers to grill when he cooks).I've tried just keeping them in the spot that he tends to put them, but then he suddenly starts using the original spot. I don't think it's on purpose like this guy, I think he just is trying to pick the best spot, and our cupboards are pretty full. I've learned the 2-3 most likely places to find what I'm looking for, so now it's more of a kinda funny, and minor inconvenience. But at least I didn't have to put away the dishes 👍
We also got in touch with Cooper, the woman who started this thread, and she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about her own experiences that inspired this conversation. Cooper shared that she previously ended an engagement after noticing a pattern of weaponized incompetence.
“I realized his mother always stepped in to clean up his messes, and both he and his family expected me to step into that role,” she noted. “The breaking point was when he didn't file the paperwork necessary for our international marriage to be legal, saying it was too hard to make the phone calls and he didn't know what to do.”
“Eventually he had his mummy pick up the slack,” Cooper continued. “We were in our late 20's, the man knew how to Google and pick up a phone. Because we were citizens of different countries, timing was tight and getting paperwork done was vital to everything working. I remember this moment as the one where I realized that it didn't matter how important the situation was or how much was on the line, he would simply claim he didn't know how until I (or his mother) picked up the slack. He would let things fall apart before handling his life himself. I refused to marry into a lifetime of parenting this man, and shortly after this, I walked away.”
"Look around the house until you find it. I refuse to believe you're this stupid."
Yes! Too many guys think women took special lessons in school for cooking and cleaning when most of the time we just read instructions on the packet and work out the rest yet it's beyond them to do the same.
Load More Replies...Sheesh. Anyone that does this to you is not a partner to you.
Maybe they need to be tested for early onset dementia, should probably take away their keys to be safe
“You pour it down your throat until you can’t swallow any more!”
He knows. He is just lazy and stupid. I mean, how freaking hard is it?
Is this a conversation between adult partners or between a mother and a five year old child?
Jaysus🤦♀️ some people make my a*s hurt. The first time my partner ever stayed over before we moved in together, the next morning I woke up to a "full English breakfast." I didn't even know what that was or that I had the stuff for it, and he managed it all on his own in a place he'd never stayed before. I don't even know what to say about folks who can't even manage a gd cheese sandwich in a home they've lived in all their lives except god bless ye' Jack, I'll never complain about the socks on the bathroom floor again. Lol
I would have let him go hungry! You had a freaking broken leg! If he is not an absolute idiot, he can figure it out or go hungry.
I've heard of this before! Many times. A guy is completely useless in a relationship, gets into another relationship is suddenly doing all the things he "couldn't" before. I can't figure it out either.
A person will treat you the way you allow yourself to be treated.
Load More Replies...I hope you ran your cart into the weaselly little b@$tard.
Hopefully his much younger girlfriend is pulling the same sh it on him!
Mine never wanted to take me to see the Tulip fields, then after the div and he started dating his soon to be new wife, he took her. that SOB, hope he rots in hell
“When you love someone, you want to give them the benefit of the doubt. You naturally want to attribute good intentions. Sometimes people truly don't have experience and just need to be taught,” Cooper pointed out. “But eventually, it starts to become clear when someone throws up their hands and claims helplessness at every turn.”
“It also becomes highly suspect when an extremely intelligent person claims they simply can't learn how to do a very basic task,” she added. “If you're an architect, I'm sure you can learn how to turn on the washing machine.”
“These experiences are so disheartening. Because you expect that someone who loves you would not intentionally manipulate you and be perfectly happy to see you stressed and overwhelmed. It's hurtful to realize it's happening to you,” Cooper says.
I'd tell his commanding officer he needs more practice with it since he forgets when he's at home.
Genuine question because I have no clue. Why would someone in the air force know how to handle sheets like that?
Military is like the DarkWeb of all household chores... You either do it good the first time or die( metaphoricaly of disappointment and frustration) doing it over and over again until you are reborn as the Phoenix.... There.Is.No.In.Between.
Load More Replies...I never made my (or our) bed except in the Navy cuz I had to, but I didn't pretend not to know how. But with my exes, we did change the sheets together.
Yeah babe, I know how to grocery shop. I don't need your mommy to help!
My 20v year old son works mostly evening shifts, closing at 11pm so dinner (if we've done a formal family meal that night) is put up for the evening. He started shopping on his lunch then coming home and cooking for himself and his 17 year old sister. They'd chit chat while she helped prep and he taught himself to cook, then they both enjoyed the fruits of their labor. I will admit, the first few times they left the kitchen in a state but I kindly pointed out nobody comes in behind us (the parents) after we make dinner and cleans up the mess unless that's been pre-arranged. They then taught themselves how to properly wash each type of pan, knife, etc. I've seriously rarely been so proud. I'm also thrilled his future partners won't be adding stories to a Bored Panda article!
You should be proud!! You sound like you are a wonderful example to your family and have raised those kiddos amazingly. 💕
Load More Replies...My ex would call his mother once or more times a day to discuss things and then at night to get instructions for the next day. I remember once when we had been married for about a year that he called her to get her permission for us to adopt a kitten.
I've always lived with a woman (until these last 2.5 years) but I always "did the things". Help with laundry, cooking, child care, etc. It boggles my mind that there are men who don't.
Mental load. Good phrase to know. My husband and I have been child free for almost 15 years and we plan to never have kids of our own. However, we recently let his adult nephew and teenage niece move in. I love them to pieces and am so glad they are here...but there is an added pressure I now feel when cooking and cleaning, etc. He feels an added pressure to make more money so I don't complain. But the other night, he started to tell them about our ice cream maker and how awesome it is and that we should make some. (or rather I should make some, lol) and it just triggered something in me but I kept it to myself. I was exhausted that night from cooking and I just wanted to relax. I later asked him to not volunteer me for stuff like that again without planning it ahead of time and he was so confused. I didn't know how to explain it, but now I do
Next time speak up in that moment: sorry honey, I don't have the capacity right now, but I'd love me some ice cream too! So why don't you do it this weekend for all of us? If he claims not to know how it works point him to the handbook.
Load More Replies...So, I do this when it comes to flower arranging. I don't mind buying them, but my other half is considerably better at presenting them. Meanwhile, I try my hardest but can't make the bed to his exactly standard. And I won't let him cook because he's either burn the house down or poison us. Equal division of labour.
Cooper went on to note that weaponized incompetence is manipulative by definition, and there are many reasons why someone might try to use this tactic, “ranging from selfishness and laziness to poor communication skills or fear of addressing your desires directly.”
“Some people know what they want would be rejected because it's unreasonable and bad partnership (eg: never having to change your child's diaper, never being the one to do the dishes), so they manipulate their way out of having to show up and do their part,” she continued. “Why put in effort when you've always been able to get by without giving any?”
If she'd let him ruin it he would have used the same excuse or blamed her for not intervening. My ex got all huffy when I found out he'd been putting dirty wipes from nappy changes on the kitchen worktops. Apparently it was my fault as I hadnt told him I didn't want poop on the KITCHEN WORKTOP.
STUPID men do this sh*t to get out of doing ANYTHING. Y'all need to treat them like a stubborn A*S... get a bridle with a broken bit and BREAK their will!
my entire family is like that. and they are perfectly able adults besides my older brother yet i do all their laundry and cook because if i don’t do it than nobody does it
Stop rewarding bad behavior unless you want it to continue. Wash your own clothes. Cook for yourself.
Load More Replies...I was accused of being the only person in the world that breaks down and organizes my cardboard before I take it down to be recycled
Mine won't get picked up if I don't do that. They leave it in the street
Load More Replies...Not that it's hard to pull it apart but at least just put it on the ground and walk on it
Nope, in gender divided chores breaking down boxes to fit in recycling is 'man's' work!
Why do you divide chores up by gender? Unless strength or height is needed that is just bizarre.
Load More Replies...Well, if they're already doing those other things maybe you could put yourself on cardboard duty. Or should you just fix your own engine the next time it needs it?
That's all too typical as they get praised for every little chore they perform their entire lives, while women are criticized for not doing them well or more often instead.
My father in law was like this. He would do a simple house hold chore and if you didn't act like he just drove all the snakes out of Ireland he wouldn't do it again for month if ever.
Load More Replies...Literally every man I've ever met... "please praise me for doing the bare minimum & cleaning THE HOUSE THE I ALSO LIVE IN!"
I am so, so thankful for a husband that does household chores without being asked. Vacuuming is his jam. I never have to do it. We're both retired and old and tired so we share the load.
Me too, I appreciate my husband more and more every time I read stuff like this.
Load More Replies...My ex only noticed the things I hadn't done. Not the work I had been doing all day.
Again, maybe I'm the weird one here, but I vacuum because I want a clean floor, not to get a gold star on my chores list.
My ex would only fix things in the house when I said to nevermind, I'll get a handyman in.
I just get the tools out and start looking up how to do it on YouTube and if my husband is home he'll usually jump in probably because he's afraid I'll screw it up...he's not wrong to worry, I put a doorknob on backwards once.
Load More Replies...Cooper also told Bored Panda that one story in particular from the thread stuck out to her. “One woman said her dad told her brother, right in front of her ‘Just pretend you don't know how to do laundry and your sister will do it for you.’ Despite the level to which this is predictable, it still somehow felt shocking,” she shared. “There are a lot of people who pretend they don't do this, or know anyone who does, and yet here was a man actively teaching his son how to feign ignorance to manipulate women into doing his work.”
“Rarely is it said so explicitly, but sometimes weaponized incompetence is directly taught. More insidiously, we see it modeled in the home. Kids pick up on everything,” Cooper added.
my husband does dinner for the kids when i work late. we had 6 or seven things he could have made for them, including ready to heat pizza. so what did he do? spent over 70$ (including delivery fees and tip) and ordered pizza. we werent able to make the car payment that week bc of that.
Jeez, the most concerning one here is "worked 3 or more of my 5 jobs". I mean what the hell dystopia makes that necessary :(
Honestly (I work in customer service) my managers are the best at their jobs. Just last night I saw the overall manager in he dishpit helping out for like half an hour
Load More Replies...They probably have assistants at work that do all the menial tasks they don't want to do.
These men have assistants, who make a quarter of what they make, to do the hard work.
This is an interesting statement. We've had people talking about mental load and how stuff is exhausting. If you follow that logic the men work management all day so they're already suffering under a mental load when it comes to management. Then they're expected to manage more stuff when they get home? I mean if it's fair for women to complain about the mental load they're placed under then surely it's the same for men? I can also say that I regularly see women who complain about every thing when their partners try to actually do the organising. So is it any wonder that some men throw their hands up and say "well you do it"? If you can't allow your partner to do something the way they find best then don't demand they do it?
Yes they are supposed to carry their half of the family load. Because you fail to understand that if a women is not in the outside workforce she's homes caring for kids which is an job in and of itself.
Load More Replies...The most exhausting part of my job is planning the work of 10 other people, these men KNOW full well its real and exhausting. About the nicest thing one can say is that they've used up all their decision energy at work, but we all know...
I assume he hand washes his clothes. Probably also cooks over a fire, too. /s
My Dad is 88, and he has owned and operated computers with printers and peripherals since 1985. He cooks on the stove and in the oven, and makes some pretty tasty fare. He's been in his own for 19 years, since Mama passed away, and I can guarantee he knows where the stuff he uses goes. In fact, when the handle on one of the 60+ year old pots literally disintegrated in his hand, he sadly retired the pots and pans he and Mana had gotten when they got married in 1955. He then went on Amazon (after checking two back issues of Consumer Reports) compared what was available to what he was replacing, and placed an order for a new set that all stacks together in one neat stack.(Except for the lids) Too old? It's too hard? *points up*
@GuirkyKittyGirl, your dad rocks? Props to him 👏!
Load More Replies...My mom is 70. She owns a PC more than 10 years already, uses it daily. Still hasn't built/memorized any consistent patterns and every time when she asks me how to do this or that and I say "click here and there" she asks "which mouse button". Also, intuitive interface buttons don't exist. Imagine pictograms for "home page", "save", "volume". Well, for her it's a big nope, hieroglyphics and mish-mash gibberish. So...yeah, the old guy in the post may have something similar. Or my mom is allergic to computers.
Same with mine. He's 76. When my mother was in the hospital after surgery and then laid up for an extended period of time I had to do his laundry for him. :( It was ridiculous. He has an advanced degree and was an expert in his field, but he can't figure out how to turn on a washing machine?
Does he know how to read? He can figure it out. At 73, he's a big boy.
Oldersters have figured out how to get away from doing anything house related or anything they don't like to do! You're wasting time trying.😂
When my mum was in hospital having my sister, the washing machine was in a 'shed' on the site. My dad didn't want to carry everything and look after me, so he bought a washing machine. With my baby sister, he bought a dishwasher!
We were also curious what Cooper’s thoughts were on the responses to her thread. She noted that they ranged from “funny and sad to rage inducing,” but that most of them didn’t surprise her. “I knew that a lot of people, especially a lot of women, would have endless examples,” she noted. “There wasn't a commonly understood term for this behavior until recently, and now that people can put a name to it, they can recognize it when it's happening.”
“The worst story I saw was a woman whose boyfriend would use his nose when going down on her,” Cooper said. “He outright told her that he intentionally wanted to bother her and make the experience terrible, so that she would stop asking. What an absolutely horrifying person. I'd say I hope he learns, but honestly, I hope he just never gets laid again.”
Could someone please tell me the purpose of folding clothes, unless you're packing a suitcase? If they're the type that crease then they're better off hung up. And if they're the type that won't get creased, then what's wrong with just putting in a drawer or somewhere without folding?
Boy, my husband and I have always folded our own clothes, they get washed together, we just separate them when one of us gets around to it.
Found out yesterday that my husband didn't know which slot was for what in UK washing machines, but in his defence 1) he's not from here 2) they are labelled weirdly (II for main wash, flower symbol for softener, I for pre-wash) 3) he does loads of laundry, so it's not like it had really made any difference
I put labels on the parts of the washer/dryer that told my husband what to put where/when. Start here - with an arrow, etc. I was gone for 3 weeks. When I got back he told me he managed to get by without doing any laundry.
Omg I had to do this with my husband. He eventually broke and said why are you doing this and I replied we had a deal and you broke it. We are a we in this marriage but you clearly are a me only person when it comes to cleaning. He finally got it and now does house work without being asked!
I am in my mid sixties and going to retire in 3 months. Been single all my life and know how to do most if not all the things that been mention on this post. Seems like men should live on their own for at least ten years before getting married so they can learn how to do these different things.
Toothpaste blobs. I used to get on my 8 y/o ex stepson daily and this is an adult here
72 year old husband has “aim” issues and now has to clean the whole bathroom
“The funniest part of the response was the number of men who got extremely angry that I talked about it, because my tweet doesn't specify gender or even imply it,” Cooper noted. “There are people in the thread who are LGBTQ and relate these issues as well in non cishet relationships with people of any gender. But just bringing up the topic made several men very angry, and this issue does seem to be the most pervasive around domestic issues in cishet relationships. A hit dog will holler.”
Old joke. Wife ""Go to the store and buy a pineapple. If they have eggs, get a dozen". Husband comes home with twelve pineapples. Wife: "Why did you buy twelve pineappples?" Husband : "They had eggs."
I was a grocery cashier in the US for a number of years. Every once in a while, the produce department would put 20 lb bags of potatoes on sale for $1.99. I couldn't go through that many before they all went bad, but it was a good enough deal that I'd ask my parents, and my grandmother, if they wanted to split the bag. 20 lbs divided between three households is maybe 6-7 lbs per household, so that was much more manageable.
This made me laugh. Asked my husband to pick up a bunch of cilantro. He came home with 6 bunches because he wasn't sure what a bunch meant.
This is why I see lots of hubbies in the gorcery store looking at their phones. Smart wives out there, doing visual lists.
I wonder if the dude works as one of those people who does your shopping when you buy groceries online, as those substitutions seem like the regular type of randomness you get from them
Hey I've got a crazy idea: what if people worked in stores? That way you could ask someone already there.
Or if the stores had thought to put signs up explaining where things were…
Load More Replies...Run away young woman. If BF can solve this problem then he is not prepared for adulthood. Do you really want to raise a BF?
And some stores like Publix and Lowes will actually tell you where a thing is in the store you are visiting. Aisle and bin even.
I use the store's app to look up things I can't find. Sometimes I'm approached by an older person, asking about items, and I use the store's app to look something up for them, too.
I haven’t been lost inside of any major store chain (grocery or otherwise) since I was a child because layouts are identical. Anyone else?
... I've had to text my dad in shops too many times... social anxiety
I sincerely hope that once she was over the food poisoning she tossed him out like she did the contents of her stomach
This sounds like a recipe for s******g or puking in the bed sans-protective water proof base sheet. I'd like to say it'd be am accident due to uncontrollable food poisoning, bit it's ok if it's just revenge. Then once well stay with friends or family till your idiot soon-to be ex buys a whole new mattress while you leisurely file for divorce, away from your s**t and puke covered room.
Oh dear, I'm thinking you'll have to have the same problem when he's sick.
I was visting the family of a man I was engaged to for awhile. His mother had a busy day, was going to be mostly out, so she asked him to put the sheets she'd laundered back on his and his brother's beds. I reminded him of this task more than once. He did it at like 11:30 at night....after his brother conked out on top of the pile of sheets, which involved getting his brother up out of the way. When I called him out on this, he said, "I made the bed, didn't I?" Ugh.
You do know it's possible to get more than once right?
Load More Replies...As far as how we should respond when we realize our partners or loved ones are utilizing weaponized incompetence, Cooper says we have three options: do it for them forever, refuse to do it and let the consequences of their actions pile up, or leave.
“The only way to stop someone from ‘getting away with it’ is to refuse to accept the behavior,” she continued. “Recognize adults can and do learn new skills all the time. Pay attention to people who are perfectly intelligent at work but suddenly child-like at home. You can't force someone to do their fair share, but you can refuse to be with someone who treats you that way. If your life is bound to a person who thinks it's perfectly fine to saddle you with the majority of work that should be shared, it's okay to question if you still want that relationship. Any partner who will happily dump all the work and stress on you doesn't care about your wellbeing.”
“The best course of action is to let it be known early and often that you will not tolerate this behavior, and it is absolutely worth ending a relationship over,” Cooper says. “Either they will choose to carry their own weight, or they will show you through your actions that they'd rather lose the relationship than be an equal partner within it. Walk away.”
"Is this a piece of bread?" "No, it's a sponge." "What about this sauce?" "No, that's liquid soap" "What about--" "Screw it, just put this carpet sample and some lighter fluid between the sponge and some sandpaper and you're good to go."
"But the sandwich tastes so much better when YOU make it!!"
Load More Replies...Also, why is he asking his daughter how he should make a sandwich that he wants to taste how he likes. So if your answers had been, spread wet cat food between 2 cinnamon rolls, would he have done that and then eat it? Because I'd like to see that. A lot. I might pay for a ticket even.
I would make my ex-stepson a sandwich and if I forgot to cut it diagonally, I was the dummy.
There should be more. Anyone who is this useless and brings seemingly nowt to a relationship doesn't deserve to be in one.
Load More Replies...i dont think those dishes were the only thing he physically hurt based on this story...so glad you got out of this incredibly toxic relationship!
The book called "I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me".... there was a reason this sing was written
“I think it's helpful to first give the benefit of the doubt to friends and partners. It's important to be kind and wonderful to be willing to teach,” Cooper added. “But keep your eyes open for claims of ignorance that strain credulity. Your partner can learn to use the dishwasher and the washing machine. Your co-worker has made a spreadsheet before. Refusing to pick up the slack may feel counterintuitive and painful, but it's the only way to put the onus back where it belongs.”
If you’d like to learn more about Cooper, follow her on social media, or even buy her a cup of coffee, you can find her information right here.
And if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing weaponized incompetence, look no further than right here!
This could easily be mental illness. I have ptsd and executive disfunction and this sort of thing is common in that.
I broke my arm 2 1/2 years ago. I couldn't bathe by myself for a while. But I had a husband and sister to help me. I hate being dirty!
Between this and the other one by the same person, I wonder if the dad is just really lacking in self-confidence or some other issue so he asks questions he knows the answer to bc of not trusting his own judgement. Especially if he's on the older side, some neurodegenerative diseases do this
This. I wanted to complain about the dad reinforcing stereotypical gender roles. But, he truly could have some cognitive issues, social, anxiety, etc. When I worked retail, I had a sweet customer who would ask me to help him find his body wash. It "smells minty and is called Ocean". Coast. He was looking for Coast. Another nonagenarian, very sweet man, got too old to drive. So his daughter drove him to the store. A day too late. So he had to pay full price for his coffee. And then she complained loudly to him, in front of me, about how much his coffee cost. I smiled at her very sweetly and said, "that's why he usually comes in on Saturdays, to get it on sale! He knows it goes on sale about once a month, and he always comes to buy two or three cans."
Load More Replies...When we brought our first baby home from the hospital, I told my husband, "i don't know any more about this than you do. We will figure it out together." And we did. And our son's are not the a$$shats on this thread.
Hmm, not sure this one is as bad as some of the others. Didn't say he didn't want to do it, just not solo. I feel like if this was still a new bub then the first few weeks (maybe even couple months) this isn't necessarily bad. But if he still can't do it solo after a few months then it's a pain.
This is one I can understand. My father remarried and his new wife is ultra-fastidious. She cleans multiple times a day, to the point there can't be a single glass sitting on the sink unwashed for more than a few minutes, scrubbing your shoes inside and out (we don't wear shoes into the house) even when you've said not to, washing dog toys, washing bath towels and sheets every two days etc. There is a point where cleaning becomes obsessive and it's impossible and frankly a little ridiculous to even try to maintain those standards. edit; Typo, holy c**p I can't spell lately
My grandmother is that way and it has become a serious detriment to her health. She had a concussion after falling down her stairs all because she had to dust some photo frames for the third time that day. She won't even allow us to hire someone else to clean her home because they'll "do it wrong".
Load More Replies...My little sister is a lot like some of the people on here… She is constantly complaining about how she does everything and blah blah blah but her only jobs are feed, water and bathe the dog and take out the trash and make sure her room is relatively clean but she rarely does even that without a fight. My parents are doing everything they can but it’s exhausting especially when you and your other sibling has to do the rest. My jobs are rotating dishes and litter box my room and me and my sister split responsibilities for the dining room, dining room, kitchen, school room, hallways( like sweeping) and sometimes our bathroom ( I’m the oldest)
I hope he was the one who learned the lessons after you got done with him.
He isn't described as "my ex", so he probably did.
Load More Replies...When we first got married, my spouse was so nitpicky about the way I did laundry, I finally told them I'd just do my own laundry. If they're gonna be that picky about how their laundry needs to be done just so, they can do it themselves. We've each been doing our own laundry ever since.
Yep. Hubs didn't like how I folded his stuff now folding is his job. There are things he does that I would do differently but you have to pick your battles
Load More Replies...Even the fact that you had to ASK him to put the laundry away is enough to make my blood boil.
To be fair some people divide chores and only do specific ones. Maybe he never does the laundry but always does the dishes. Him being asked to put away the laundry isn't necessarily a red flag.
Load More Replies...My suggested lesson plan: Lesson 1- "ok, we'll, come with me and I'll show you where everything goes" Lesson 2- "ok now I will take ALL the clothes out of their cupboards and watch while you put them back into the correct places, " "once you've done it often enough that you no longer need my supervision, we can co-sign this graduation certificate and put it in the fridge along with all the kids homework and art etc- right where it belongs!"
Eesh. He might have a hard time pulling that off in my house. Kiddo found the label maker and labeled what went into which drawer.
I put away dishes in other people's houses when they're not there (friends, someone I'm housesitting/babysitting for, etc) I look at what's in the cupboards/ drawers and match it as close as I can. I don't even live there and I figure it out. No one has ever had to call me and ask where I put something.
And that is why dad does it! He knows his wife will get annoyed and do it herself!
And that is why he does it. I had a former boss admit to deliberately asking after every grocery item, "Where does it go?" His wife would eventually get disgusted and put the groceries away herself. That's why they continue to get by with it. Someone needs to call their bluff.
This is why you establish boundaries early on. If the dad takes more of a responsibility in another area, great, but if mom gets annoyed, it sounds like she is taking on more than her fair share.
Does he know where to find a cup when he wants one? A plate when he needs one? A spoon or a fork when he wants to eat something? Then he knows where those things go. Tell him to take his B/S and can it.
I would make him look in random wrong drawer, then when he says they're not there, "oh yeah, sorry, they're in the (some other but still wrong) drawer". And then I would tell him to check this cabinet, that cabinet... I would make him check all the wrong drawer, cabinets, etc. except for the correct one.
Too much effort. My answer is: I don't know. Where did you put them?
Load More Replies...'Where are the scissors, honey?' "Last i heard, they were in Budapest, but they've probably moved on."
"Doug, we have lived in this house for years, ok? The scissors have always been in the same place, and yet you continue to ask me where they are. Not to mention the spatula, the pot holders, the pens. Well, I'll tell you something, honey. I have been a tour guide in my own kitchen long enough. Too many precious moments have been wasted showing you where things are! Just learn! Learn! I mean, what if I d*ed? How would you flip a pancake? How would you-- how would you ever cut anything ever again? Would you just sit here weeping and soiling yourself until somebody came in to help you? No, you wouldn't. You would... Remember where something is. Yeah. So come on, honey. Please. Just this once. Find where the scissors are. Find 'em. Go ahead, baby. Go get 'em. Go ahead."
My response to where are the scissors? The same place you found them last time. I don't play that sh*t. Luckily my husband is a f*cking grown up & I don't have to.
I would have said, ask me again and you'll find them up your ăss, my god I can't believe how some of these men are ąssholes with their weaponized incompetence. God forbid if they have to live alone... 😑 🙄
I have found that I used language with my teen (it's just her and I in our house) that implied doing chores is helping ME or is a favor to ME, ie; could you help me out by taking the garbage out. I've made a change in how I talk about these things! It's not helping "ME" - it's the 2 of us caring for the home in which we both live and it's not a favor, it's our responsibility to both care for our space and our things. I had been in that same bad habit for my whole marriage as well, with subtle language cues that implied all of these responsibilities were mine and mine alone. Never again!! I hope someone else can get something from this and see if they need a tweak, too! Wish I'd noticed and changed that YEARS ago!
Each and every person who calls doing housework or childcare 'helping out' is showing their true colours. No you're not 'helping out', I'm not the one responsible by default and you're not the one kindly helping out. This is our home, you have to do your share! Not to 'help out' but because it needs to be done! Words are important. The wording people use is telling about how they see things. Don't let them get away with trying to turn this around or telling you you're the problem and you're taking things too literally. Manipulators love to do this. People know exactly what they're saying when using those phrases and it's exactly what they feel about it. They firmly believe it's not their job and they deserve praise for doing it anyway.
So true!- like when people refer to fathers looking after their own children as "babysitting"
Load More Replies...My dad has never in his life paid bills, filed taxes, used the washing machine or drier, folded clothes... And he's just learned to make appointments the last few years. At least he's cooking, but that's because he's a retired chef and likes it
Women need to stop putting up with this behavior from day one. My wife would never let me get away with the things in this thread.
That was always a way to get my ex to do something - just hire someone else to do it lol! Must've been either a punch to his masculinity or his wallet, or maybe both, but it definitely got him to decide he could do it himself 🤣🤣🤣
Load More Replies...Told my husband 4 months before he turns 65 to SIGN UP FOR MEDICARE! I need his number to add to my work health insurance. Guess who had to do the heavy lifting because he waited one month to his 65th birthday. The insurance paperwork takes weeks to process so now we're not being reimbursed for Medicare until it's approved.
My ex really wasn't good at paying bills, I took over when we received a slew of past-due notices.
my husband doesnt do laundry. he wont put it away and its like pulling teeth to get him to load the washer or dryer. and he does know how bc ive seen him do it if i push him enough to actually do it. so i stopped cleaning his clothes. i put them right back as they are in his drawers. he thinks our washer is broken and cant understand how his clothes arent getting clean. yet never questions how me and the kids always have clean clothes that smell nice.
This sort of thing always dumbfounds me. My mom taught me to do my own laundry when I was about 10. It isn’t that hard. But then, I am female. (rolls eyes)
I feel like buying new underwear would be more of an effort than just washing them.
Oh God that was my dad when my mom was in Rehab for 6 weeks! I refused to do his laundry for him, so he bought new one and wore them without washing 🤢
Seeing the other idiots on this thread I'm glad that one even managed to pick a box and put something in it
But he managed to find a box with the corresponding lid. Anyone with tupperware will understand.
Serve his next meal in those plates, make sure he sees you taking it from the drying rack where he left it. (You get a clean one!)
My ex (female) would just put her dishes in the sink. I put water in mine. She seemed to be too used to her mother doing them for her since she was retired and lived with her for years before me. I felt bad and would wash mine as often as possible. We both worked full-time.
I feel like when you're putting so much effort into scrubbing plates before they go in the dishwasher then it's pointless having a dishwasher. Part of the selling point is they use less water than standard washing, but if you have to scrub before putting them in the dishwasher then surely that benefit is lost?
Okay this one will really blow your mind. I hope you're all sitting down for this idea. What if instructions for microwaving were on the packaging already? Okay now breath, don't hyperventilate here!
In fairness though leftovers and such don't come with packaging.
Load More Replies...To be fair, microwave time is all guesswork/trial and error. It's different every time.
And he can figure it out himself like everyone else can
Load More Replies...That's exactly how he's gotten away with not doing them his entire life, my brother's did the same thing until my mom gave up and made dishes my chore every night.
As a mom I would have had the boys wash everything all over again
Load More Replies...I remember as a teenager, my older brother and I would wash dishes, and if we were mad at each other about something, the one rinsing would keep dumping plates back in the soapy water, and say "Nope. Not clean enough. Still food on it. Do it again." We got to be very thorough.
my husband used to only wash the tops. note I say USED to. it didn't occur to him that when you stack dirty dishes, the bottoms got dirty too. wasn't laziness, it just didn't cross his mind. once I pointed it out, he started doing both sides. neither of us are the best at keeping on top of housework, and sometimes I have to point things out a few times, but he is actually trying his best. I can't imagine him being deliberately rubbish at stuff to get out of doing them. and as I have quite bad fatigue and pain issues on and off, I'd rather stuff got done half arsedly than not at all, and I'm grateful that he understands I can't always pull my weight.
Oh, hell no. He can keep washing them over & over until he does it right.
No, you stop cooking because you don't have any clean pots and pans. Geez, I really appreciate my husband.
Yes but yours is clearly well trained, either by his parents or you or both!
Load More Replies...And that is why he did that! My husband is definitely not Mr clean, but he is very prideful and never wants to look bad.
What was the final count of exes in this group? And I bet they are all doing the same thing to their new wives. Somebody stop the madness!!!
Getting a dishwasher really saved my sanity and resentment that was building up.
I think replacing plates and bowls with paper products, and cutlery with the cheap plastic stuff is an idea. Also, prepare steaks and baked potatoes, or rice. See how long it takes them to eat that stuff.
I knew someone with a mid-teenage son who wouldn't/couldn't learn to do his own laundry. He said using the washing machine was too complicated. My suggestion was to tell him that if he couldn't learn to run a washing machine, he certainly wasn't getting the driving lessons he wanted, as managing a car is a lot more complicated than running a washing machine.
Stories like these make me glad I live alone. I’d much rather just clean up after myself than have a partner and have to clean up after them as well
I'm so glad I found someone who cooks, cleans, does laundry and does grocery shopping. And I don't even have to ask!!! We take turns depending who is working when. We cook and clean up as a team!
Oh me too, I wouldn't put up with that bs for a second.
Load More Replies...My dad was/is a master of weaponized incompetence so I grew up with zero tolerance for it. Every time a soon to be ex pulled that c**p I immediately broke up with them letting them know “I’m sorry I must be super shallow but I just can’t date someone that stupid”. Im so happy I did to as my hubby is a fantastic PARTNER
I think it's beyond time for women to start using weaponized incompetence in the bedroom.
I see a lot of "my ex bf/husband" in there, but I could fill a book with my ex-girlfriend's bad habits, from not loading the dishwasher correctly (although lots of "hints" since half-full) to not tearing boxes for the recycle bin to not rinsing her toothbrush. Here's one: she would put her things (wallet, phone, keys) anywhere then forget where she put them. She would go nuts looking for them then blame me for not knowing where she put them, because since "I know she never take a mental note of it", I should pay attention where she put them so I could tell her. "You're useless" was her response when I said I didn't know where she put them.
I don't know if your ex had ADD or was just spoiled, but she didn't help her situation by dumping all responsibility on you and not appreciating you. I have an attention deficit, so my husband occasionally reminds me of what I need to do (example: "Do you have your ticket?"). Even if I remember, I still thank him (example, "I do, thanks for reminding me"). When I was growing up, my mother screamed a lot at me (I was also hit until I was 10). My husband's tone is calm, brief and very occasionally a little stern (such as "Did you finish your taxes yet?"). His way feels considerate, kind, and pragmatic.
Load More Replies...My parents have an agreed-upon story between them that "men just can't see dirt" and "men just aren't detail-oriented." That's why my mom has to do all the cleaning. I tried asking once, "Wow, if men aren't capable of seeing dirt or focusing on details, do you really think they should be allowed to be surgeons or engineers or presidents or anything with a lot of responsibility?" I got a blank look back.
Do some guys just not care if we think they're stupid? Is it really worth slacking on chores to have the person you married think you're incompetent?
I think it's just their way of expressing their internalized anger towards their spouse, and rather than growing up and dealing with their issues, they get angrier that their spouse thinks they're incompetent, and it becomes this whole vicious circle that usually ends in violence and or divorce.
Load More Replies...My ex just outright said "You do the cleaning - you're the one that cares if it's clean."
I knew someone with a mid-teenage son who wouldn't/couldn't learn to do his own laundry. He said using the washing machine was too complicated. My suggestion was to tell him that if he couldn't learn to run a washing machine, he certainly wasn't getting the driving lessons he wanted, as managing a car is a lot more complicated than running a washing machine.
Stories like these make me glad I live alone. I’d much rather just clean up after myself than have a partner and have to clean up after them as well
I'm so glad I found someone who cooks, cleans, does laundry and does grocery shopping. And I don't even have to ask!!! We take turns depending who is working when. We cook and clean up as a team!
Oh me too, I wouldn't put up with that bs for a second.
Load More Replies...My dad was/is a master of weaponized incompetence so I grew up with zero tolerance for it. Every time a soon to be ex pulled that c**p I immediately broke up with them letting them know “I’m sorry I must be super shallow but I just can’t date someone that stupid”. Im so happy I did to as my hubby is a fantastic PARTNER
I think it's beyond time for women to start using weaponized incompetence in the bedroom.
I see a lot of "my ex bf/husband" in there, but I could fill a book with my ex-girlfriend's bad habits, from not loading the dishwasher correctly (although lots of "hints" since half-full) to not tearing boxes for the recycle bin to not rinsing her toothbrush. Here's one: she would put her things (wallet, phone, keys) anywhere then forget where she put them. She would go nuts looking for them then blame me for not knowing where she put them, because since "I know she never take a mental note of it", I should pay attention where she put them so I could tell her. "You're useless" was her response when I said I didn't know where she put them.
I don't know if your ex had ADD or was just spoiled, but she didn't help her situation by dumping all responsibility on you and not appreciating you. I have an attention deficit, so my husband occasionally reminds me of what I need to do (example: "Do you have your ticket?"). Even if I remember, I still thank him (example, "I do, thanks for reminding me"). When I was growing up, my mother screamed a lot at me (I was also hit until I was 10). My husband's tone is calm, brief and very occasionally a little stern (such as "Did you finish your taxes yet?"). His way feels considerate, kind, and pragmatic.
Load More Replies...My parents have an agreed-upon story between them that "men just can't see dirt" and "men just aren't detail-oriented." That's why my mom has to do all the cleaning. I tried asking once, "Wow, if men aren't capable of seeing dirt or focusing on details, do you really think they should be allowed to be surgeons or engineers or presidents or anything with a lot of responsibility?" I got a blank look back.
Do some guys just not care if we think they're stupid? Is it really worth slacking on chores to have the person you married think you're incompetent?
I think it's just their way of expressing their internalized anger towards their spouse, and rather than growing up and dealing with their issues, they get angrier that their spouse thinks they're incompetent, and it becomes this whole vicious circle that usually ends in violence and or divorce.
Load More Replies...My ex just outright said "You do the cleaning - you're the one that cares if it's clean."
