A frustrated Reddit user has taken to the platform to share a photo of their clothes drying rack.

The picture showed garments piled on top of each other, preventing them from drying properly. In the post, the user said that they had asked their husband to hang the laundry. His excuse for the poor job was that “there was no more space in the rack,” leading to widespread debate and anger from Reddit users calling the act “weaponized incompetence.”

“Asked my husband to hang the clothes,” the poster wrote. “Needless to say, nothing at the top got dry.”

What Is Weaponized Incompetence?

Weaponized incompetence is a term used to describe when a person intentionally performs a task poorly to avoid being asked to do it again in the future.

By feigning inability or acting incompetent, the person shifts the responsibility back to their partner, allowing them to dodge unwanted chores.

In the context of the Reddit post, the husband’s claim that there was “no more space” for small items is seen by users as a classic example of this behavior, as the result of his actions means the task will likely be taken over by his partner going forward.

Tough-Love Advice from the Internet

Users flooded the post with advice and personal stories, many suggesting creative, albeit passive-aggressive, ways to handle the situation.

One user shared a story about their teenage brother: “One day my teenage brother tried to pull that … I decided to immediately fold his still-wet clothes and put them in his drawer. All his clothes were musty and damp the next day. He got very mad at me, but he miraculously learned to do it properly after that and hasn’t pulled s*** like that again.”

Another commenter offered a simple, sarcastic solution: “Do that with only his clothes from now on, and if he says something, just say ‘I saw that you hung them like that, so I thought that’s how you wanted your clothes hung.'”

The Case for Direct Communication

Not all advice was so indirect. Some users called for a more-direct approach, arguing that, in a healthy marriage, a partner should be able to solve basic problems.

“Tell him to go redo it properly and don’t do it for him,” one user said. “He’s an adult and should be able to problem solve if he runs out of space. Tell him you aren’t going to put up with that … marriage is a partnership, and you both have to do chores.”

The viral Reddit post, receiving more than 52,000 upvotes, and the ensuing debate show how a seemingly minor issue, like a poorly hung clothes rack, can become a flashpoint for a larger conversation about fairness and responsibility between partners.

Newsweek reached out to u/ahorasimeaborregue for comment via Reddit.