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Once upon a time, success was defined by grind: early mornings, late nights, back-to-back meetings, and a side hustle (or two). Hustle culture equalled success. But lately, the cultural tide has shifted. The new aspiration is “soft life.”

The constant pressure to perform is tiring

The soft life promises ease, elegance, and emotional wellbeing. People think easing into a life with matcha, wearing silk robes and being an ‘it’ girl constitutes success.

But make no mistake, the soft life isn’t about being lazy. It’s a rebrand of ambition itself. At its core is the idea of approaching success with feminine energy. You receive instead of chasing and going with the flow rather than forcing, attracting rather than proving. This also shows up in the form of toxic dating advice, wherein looking for closure or looking for answers may be seen as too ‘forceful’ and ‘pressurising’ for a man.

And just like hustle culture, the soft life is becoming a status symbol of its own. It’s beautifully curated on Instagram, with aesthetics that whisper “I’m thriving without trying too hard.”

From luxury travel to slow mornings and wellness routines, the soft life is about choosing a version of success that prioritizes emotional safety, boundaries and beauty. But it is also gendered.

Much of its imagery and appeal is marketed through a hyper-feminine lens. As a result, it often reinforces narrow expectations of femininity and privilege, placing emotional fulfillment within reach mostly for those with financial security, time, and social capital.

We’d all want and perhaps, even have access to a soft life if we had similar resources.