50 Eye-Rolling Moments That Perfectly Capture Weaponized Incompetence

These shocking examples of weaponized incompetence will have you laughing—and cringing.

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• November 22, 2024

Moving in together is a big step in a relationship. It’s a sign that things are getting serious, and it often means more time spent together and splitting expenses like rent. But sometimes, living together can reveal unexpected challenges, especially when one partner starts acting like they don’t know how to handle basic tasks.

People call this “weaponized incompetence,” and it’s more common than you might think. It’s when one person pretends not to know how to do simple things—like doing the laundry, cleaning, or even putting their dishes away—so the other partner does it.

At first, it might seem like a harmless mistake, but over time, it can feel like a way to avoid responsibility. The person who ends up doing all the work can feel overwhelmed and frustrated, especially when the partner doesn’t seem to make an effort to pitch in.

This kind of behavior can strain a relationship. It can lead to resentment and make the person picking up the slack feel unappreciated.

The key to solving this problem is good communication. Both partners must be clear about what they expect from each other and willing to share responsibilities. Relationships work best when people pull their weight and treat each other as equals.

If you’re in a relationship where one person always needs help with the basics, addressing this before it leads to more significant issues is essential. Open conversations about fairness and shared duties can help create a more balanced and happy home life for both partners.

We’ve gathered some of the most outrageous examples of weaponized incompetence shared by women around the world. Get ready to roll your eyes and laugh.

"When ‘I don’t know how to do it’ becomes a strategy...

"Boyfriend Put His Drink On My Brand New Notebook, Yesterday"

"This Is How My Boyfriend Leaves The Sink After He Shaves"

"Just Done My Business. *someone* Left This. And Yes, I’m Using This Sub Of 4 Million Users To Personally Call Out My Boyfriend"

"Sisters Boyfriend Lost His Wallet Before Leaving To Go To His Moms"

"My Boyfriend Lovingly Insists On Cooking Dinner On Mondays, But Ends Up Leaving All Of His Dishes And Mess Behind Because He Has To Leave For His Weekly Chess Meet Up"

"My Boyfriend Puts The Butter Away Like This In The Fridge Door. Fully Exposed And Touching The Fridge I Haven’t Washed In Months"

"Called My Boyfriend From The Supermarket To Check If I Needed To Grab More Pads, He Said ‘No There’s Loads Left’"

"This Can Has Been Directly In Front Of My Boyfriend's Sink Side For Two Weeks And I've Chosen Not To Toss It Just To See If He Would. He Still Hasn't"

"Went To Get Some Ice Cream And My Boyfriend Left Me This. In Case I “Needed A Pick Me Up But Didn’t Want A Bunch Of Ice Cream.”"

"Boyfriend Leaves All His Trash In The Car"

"My Boyfriend, Who Doesn’t Buy Any Of The Groceries, Decided To Use Multiple Pounds Of Chicken In A Cooler Instead Of The Bag Of Ice We Have"

"Boyfriend Leaves His Used Dental Floss On The Side Table By The Couch"

"Instead Of Rinsing His Cup Between Drinks, My Boyfriend Will Just Refill It With Whatever Since It “Mixes In His Stomach Anyway”. Pictured Is His Glass Of “Water” After Milk And Oreos"

"My Boyfriend’s Solution To Me Being Mad That He Finishes Everything In The House Without Buying A Replacement"

"Boyfriend Keeps A Graveyard Of Shower Gel With One Half-Squirt Left "

"Safari On My Boyfriend’s Phone"

"When My Boyfriend Leaves Empty Packages In The Fridge"

"My Boyfriend "Tastes Tests" All The Chocolates One By One Whenever I Buy Us A Box Of Chocolates To Share"

"Stayed The Night At My Boyfriend’s, Didn’t Bring Breakfast Because He Said I Can Cook There. Morning Comes, He Proceeds To Pull Out These Two Things. Out Of The Dishwasher No Less"

"Why Is My Boyfriend Doing This? ) ‘ :"

"My Boyfriend's Job Title Is Actually "Solutions Engineer." This Was His Solution"

"How My Boyfriend Leaves His Coffee Cup Every Morning"

"My Boyfriend : *does The Dishes* The Sink :"

"The Amount Of Tea My Boyfriend Left In The Pitcher"

"According To My Boyfriend, His Toothbrush Does Not Need To Be Changed"

"This Is How Much Ice Cream My Boyfriend Left In My Pint Of Ben & Jerry's 🙃"

"The Way My Boyfriend Is Eating This Pie"

"My Boyfriends Gaming Set Up"

"Are These Really Still Ok? My Boyfriend Thinks That These Shoes Are Fine. Wears Them To Work, Around Town. “50% Of People Wear Their Shoes To This Point”

"My Boyfriends Food Cupboard 😳 I Think He Must Upend His Shopping Bags Direct In The Cupboard Rather Than Unpack"

"My Boyfriend Insists On Storing Leftovers In Ziplock Bags Even Though We Have Plenty Of Tupperware. His Reasoning Is It “Saves A Dish”, Even Though They Have To Be Transferred To A Dish Later Anyway. In Reality He Just Makes A Huge Mess And Wastes A Bag"

"Came Home To A Smokey Apartment And A Boyfriend Asleep On The Couch. Not Even Sure What These Were"

"My Boyfriend’s Toilet Paper Graveyard"

"My Boyfriend Ate All The Skin Off Our Rotisserie Chicken"

"Good Morning. Found My Boyfriends Glass Bottles In The Freezer. He’s At Work"

"Asking My Boyfriend To Not Empty The Entire Can Of Pringles (My Fav Flavor)"

"How My Boyfriend Packed Up A Moving Box With Kitchen Stuff While I Was At Work"

"My Boyfriend Forgot To Buy Shower Curtain Rings"

"My Boyfriend Took A Bite Out Of All Three Of My Hashbrowns"

"The Container My Boyfriend Picked To Put Away Leftover Pancakes"

"Came To The Kitchen To Find Out That My Boyfriend Hung The Towel Like This 🤨"

"Recently Moved In With My Boyfriend Who Has A Habit Of Leaving His Clothes On The Floor, I Asked Him To Put His Jeans Away In His Closet And This Is What I Found Later"

"My Boyfriend 'Helpfully' Put My Expensive Indoor Plants Outside For "Fresh Air", And They Got Irreparably Sunburnt :("

"Hos Much Dishsoap My Boyfriend Think He Needs For One Pot"

"My Boyfriend Made Croissants This Way.. Am I Dating A Serial K*ller?"

"Boyfriend Always Buys A Bag At The Store"

"My (Now Ex) Boyfriend Just Broke Up With Me Via Text Message Tonight :|""

" My Boyfriend Puts Snacks In My Fruit Hanging Basket"

"My Boyfriend's Single Bite Of My Apple"

"My Boyfriend Made Me Coffee The Other Day"

Living together can be awesome, but when one partner starts “forgetting” basic things like washing dishes or putting the laundry in the machine, things can get a little... crooked. This is classic "weaponized incompetence" in action!

One person kicks back on the couch while the other becomes the household hero, handling all the chores. The fix is simple: talk it out and divide the responsibilities!

When both pitches in, life is way easier, and you can enjoy living together—without constantly fighting over socks, no one bothers to fold!

Damjan