"If that is the case, then why can't I get my husband to put the socks in the hamper instead of next to it?"
Look, we are putting them near the hamper to save YOU some work. If we didn't care about you, we would simply toss them to the other side of the room. It's the same reason we don't need a glass in the middle of the night when we drink from the milk carton.....this saves you work. Besides, every man must be ready for an emergency, so we leave them out like a good fireman leaves his boots ready. Look at it this way, we are ready to save your life!
Now about that old rumor that we should put the lid down.......LOL
Oh, and remember..to you it's a nest, to many of us...... it's a cave! LOL
I thought you were supposed to leave your boots or shoes untied by the bed for that. At least that's the way we did in ROTC field training. (in effect, Basic for officer candidates)
After 33 years, I can still hear our fire marshall, whose name was, I kid you not, Geronimo, walking the corridors at lights out yelling "unlace your boots". :) )