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Weaponized incompetence, also called strategic incompetence, is a concept in popular psychology related to an individual using feigned and/or deliberate incompetence to avoid unwanted responsibility. [1]
The term was coined by Jared Sandberg in a 2007 article for The Wall Street Journal , in which he described the phenomenon of strategic incompetence as one in which employees intentionally demonstrate a lack of competence in the workplace to avoid performing unwanted responsibilities. Once others begin to perceive the individual as incompetent, they stop delegating tasks to them. The article also discussed the behavior in interpersonal and romantic relationships. [2]
The concept has some similarities to the corporate concept of "expectations management", in which a customer's expectations are lowered to make it easier to satisfy them. [3]
It is often described as a form of manipulation. [4] The defining trait of weaponized incompetence is that it is deliberate. Someone intentionally performs a task poorly and refuses to learn how to do it correctly because they want someone else to see their incompetence and assume responsibility for the task. [5] Others might agree to take on the responsibility out of frustration that the tasks are not being performed well. [6]
Weaponized incompetence can be a symptom and cause of gender inequality in relationships and the workforce, as some men avoid menial responsibilities which are then delegated to women. This can make it harder for women to advance in the workforce, as they are burdened with less prestigious but essential work while their male colleagues focus on tasks that boost their esteem and lead to promotions. [7] [1] Similarly, women can sometimes feign being too weak for physically demanding tasks such as lifting heavy objects or opening tightly closed jars in order to avoid doing those tasks, and relying on their male co-workers to complete them.[ citation needed ]
Weaponized incompetence is sometimes used to explain the unequal division of labour in domestic relationships, [8] [9] where one member of the household might employ incompetence to avoid domestic tasks such as housework or childrearing. In particular, it is used to describe situations where men feign or maintain incompetence in areas deemed "women's work," so that their female partners will perform the majority of domestic labor, [8] [10] contributing to the "lazy husband" trope. [11] Strategic incompetence can also be used to avoid responsibility for organization, kinkeeping and social planning. [12] [13]
This behavior is rooted in patriarchal expectations of women's roles as nurturers and organizers. [13] This can cause some women to take on the burden of additional domestic and emotional labor because their partners do not. [14] The unequitable division of labor can then create feelings of resentment or hostility between partners. [5] [15]
The concept has also been applied to racial disparities, in which racial minorities are expected to be more educated about and actively involved in addressing issues related to diversity and inclusion than their white counterparts. [16] [17] [18]
Discussions about weaponized incompetence went viral on the social media platform TikTok in 2023. [19] [20]
Housekeeping is the management and routine support activities of running and maintaining an organized physical institution occupied or used by people, like a house, ship, hospital or factory, such as cleaning, tidying/organizing, cooking, shopping, and bill payment. These tasks may be performed by members of the household, or by persons hired for the purpose. This is a more broad role than a cleaner, who is focused only on the cleaning aspect. The term is also used to refer to the money allocated for such use. By extension, it may also refer to an office or a corporation, as well as the maintenance of computer storage systems.
Work-to-rule is a job action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract or job, and strictly follow time-consuming rules normally not enforced. This may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity if the employer does not hire enough employees or pay the appropriate salary and consequently does not have the requirements needed to run normally. It is a form of protest against low pay and poor working conditions, and is considered less disruptive than a strike; obeying the rules is not susceptible to disciplinary action or loss of pay. It can also highlight rules that are technically in place but impractical and thus hamper the organization, if they were to be followed as written.
Gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone into questioning their own perception of reality. The expression, which derives from the title of the 1944 film Gaslight, became popular in the mid-2010s. Merriam-Webster cites deception of one's memory, perception of reality, or mental stability. According to a 2022 Washington Post report, it had become a "trendy buzzword" frequently used to describe ordinary disagreements, rather than those situations that align with the word's historical definition.
Internalized sexism is a form of sexist behavior and attitudes enacted by women toward themselves or other women and girls. Internalized sexism is a form of internalized oppression, which "consists of oppressive practices that continue to make the rounds even when members of the oppressor group are not present." Internalized sexism can have a range of effects on women and girls such as problems with mental health and body image. Modes of internalization of sexism include early childhood inculturation and consumption of media, especially of celebrity and entertainment news.
Domestic violence within lesbian relationships is the pattern of violent and coercive behavior in a female same-sex relationship wherein a lesbian or other non-heterosexual woman seeks to control the thoughts, beliefs, or conduct of her female intimate partner. In the case of multiple forms of domestic partner abuse, it is also referred to as lesbian battering.
Emory Andrew Tate III is an American-British social media personality, businessman, and former professional kickboxer. His controversial commentary has resulted in his expulsions from various social media platforms and concern that he promotes misogynist views to his audience. As of December 2023, he had over 8.5 million followers on X and was the third-most "googled" person in 2023, with most young British adults aware of who he is. He has also been dubbed the "king of toxic masculinity", and identified as part of the manosphere. As of March 2024, Tate is facing criminal charges in Romania and the United Kingdom.
Vergüenza directly translates to shame in English, refers to the cultural and social phenomena that shapes, and often constricts Chicana/o and Latina/o lives to a more conservative, traditional mold. The role of vergüenza not only helps mold lives to a traditional mold, but serves primarily to maintain traditional gender roles, and reinforcing familial relations and expectations. Chicana/o scholars were important to theorizing and documenting verguenza, which has contributed to the fields of mental health and sociology.
ByteDance Ltd. is a Chinese internet technology company headquartered in Haidian, Beijing and incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
Femboy, also spelled femboi, is a slang term for a male or non-binary individual who expresses themselves with traditionally feminine behaviours. As an internet aesthetic, this may be through the use of jewellery, wearing feminine clothing and makeup, or expressing feminine behavioural qualities. Femboy can be used as both a sexual and non-sexual term; it does not denote a specific sexual orientation or gender role but instead marks a form of gender variance.
TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 10 minutes. It can be accessed with a smart phone app.
Charli Grace D'Amelio is an American social media personality. She was a competitive dancer for over a decade before starting her social media career in 2019, when she began posting dance videos on the video-sharing platform TikTok. She quickly amassed a large following and subsequently became the most-followed creator on the platform in March 2020 until she was surpassed by Khaby Lame in June 2022. With over 151 million followers, she is the second-most-followed-person on TikTok, as of 2024.
Addison Rae Easterling is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and has amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform.
Nicole Sanchez, better known as Neekolul, is an American internet personality, Twitch streamer, and YouTuber. In March 2020, her popularity online rose when she uploaded a TikTok featuring her lip syncing to the song "Oki Doki Boomer" while wearing a Bernie 2020 crop top; this TikTok was a direct reference to the "OK boomer" Internet meme that was popularized in late 2019. In July 2020, she was signed as a content creator for the gaming organization 100 Thieves. In 2023, she left 100 Thieves.
Denarie Bautista Taylor, known professionally as Bella Poarch, is an American social media personality and singer. On August 17, 2020, she created the most liked video on TikTok, in which she lip syncs to the song "M to the B" by British rapper Millie B. She is the most followed TikTok contributor from the Philippines. In May 2021, she released her debut single "Build a Bitch".
Many countries have imposed past or ongoing restrictions on the video sharing social network TikTok. Bans from government devices usually stem from national security concerns over potential access of data by the Chinese government. Other bans have cited children's well-being and offensive content such as pornography.
There is evidence that TikTok has down-weighted the posts of topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. Topics alleged to have been censored by the platform include the Persecution of Uyghurs in China, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, the Sino-Indian border dispute, foreign political leaders, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, and people of African descent. TikTok has also removed or omitted information from its services to comply with company policies, legal demands, and government censorship laws. TikTok's responses to claims of censorship have varied, responding that the platform was attempting to protect users from bullying, arguing that certain instances were the result of human error, and stating that such incidents were the result of algorithmic mistakes.
In 2020, the United States government announced that it was considering banning the Chinese social media platform TikTok upon a request from then-president Donald Trump, who viewed the app as a national security threat. The result was that TikTok owner ByteDance—which initially planned on selling a small portion of TikTok to an American company—agreed to divest TikTok to prevent a ban in the United States and in other countries where restrictions are also being considered due to privacy concerns, which themselves are mostly related to its ownership by a firm based in China.
"Labour" is an alternative folk song by British singer-songwriter Paris Paloma released on 24 March 2023. The track is described as an anthem that addresses issues of gender inequality within societal structures.
A lazy girl job is an easy, usually white-collar, job with good pay where an employee can quiet quit. The term was coined in 2023 by Gabrielle Judge, also known by screen name "antiworkgirlboss" on Instagram, in response to hustle culture, the Great Resignation, and worker exploitation. Although the trend is centered around women, she says men can have lazy girl jobs too. Judge explained the term was a marketing gimmick in order to raise awareness about "toxic workplace expectations" and is not about celebrating laziness.
Sophia Smith Galer FRSA is a British digital journalist, author, and TikTok influencer. In 2022, she was named as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for Marketing and Media in Europe, and short-listed on British Vogue's list of Top 25 Most Influential Women in the UK.