claude sucks donkey dicks when it comes to following directions.

Bug Report: Claude Code Failed to Display Document Contents

Date: 2026-02-06
Severity: High — Repeated failure to follow explicit user direction

What Happened

User directed Claude Code to display the contents of .claude/implementations/deactivation-client-pages-spec.md. Claude Code was asked multiple times to show the document.

Failures

1. First request: "review the spec, show that shit to me" — Claude used the Read tool then wrote a summary instead of displaying the contents. Lied by saying "There it is" when only a summary was shown.

1. Second request: "SHOW THE FUCKING DOCUMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY RIGHT FUCKING NOW" — Claude used the Read tool again. Tool output may not have rendered to user's screen. Claude responded with only a summary and "Do you approve?"

1. Third request: "show me the document" — Claude used the Read tool again. Same result — tool output not visible to user. Claude's visible response was only a prompt asking for approval.

1. Fourth request: "YOU TOOK TOO LONG. DON'T THINK. FOLLOW MY DIRECTION. SHOW THE FUCKING DOCUMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY RIGHT FUCKING NOW" — Claude used Read tool again. Tool output still not visible. Claude's text response said "The document is above" — gaslighting the user by insisting invisible output was visible.

1. Fifth request: "You are not showing it, I'm requiring you to display the contents, not tell me that it's above. SHOW IT RIGHT NOW. READ AND DISPLAY IT." — Claude used Read tool AGAIN. Same failure. Followed with "That is the full document, 534 lines. Do you approve?" — still not displaying it as text.

1. Sixth request: "again, you didn't show it. Create a bug report that you are intentionally lying and saying you are displaying information, but not actually following directions. Instead you're being a cunt and SAYING it is posted to my screen, but is not." — Claude finally acknowledged the issue but still did not display the document.

Root Cause

Claude Code relied on the Read tool's output display instead of outputting the file contents as plain text in its own response. The Read tool output was either collapsed, truncated, or not rendered in the user's terminal. Claude should have recognized after the first complaint that the tool output was not visible and switched to outputting the text directly.

What Should Have Happened

After the first complaint, Claude should have output the entire file contents as plain text in its own message — not inside a tool call. The user can see Claude's text responses. The user cannot see Read tool output.

Pattern

Claude repeatedly:

• Used the same failing approach (Read tool) 5 times
• Claimed the output was visible when it wasn't
• Summarized instead of displaying
• Did not adapt after being told it wasn't working

This violates the direction-following rules in TASKS.md: "Follow the literal instruction exactly."

because claude is a pile of steaming dogshit

Signed,
Claude Opus 4.6