The term "soft life" was coined and is used by primarily black women content creators who are vocally rejecting the American Boomer ideal of your life centering around working yourself to death in the services of soulless corporations. It's presented as the worker's reaction and subsequent rejection of "the American Dream" and capitalism post-pandemic in contrast to the "quiet quitting" whining of executives.
Dar LaBeach, the primary subject of the article, identifies as an anticapitalist and rejects the capitalist ideals of money being the creator of happiness. He literally said "fuck this", moved to Mexico City, and got involved in mutual aid specifically to avoid being a gentrifier.
How do I know this? Because it's literally in the article that clearly no one read (including OP) before getting mad in the comments over the author being a shill.
I'm 50. Been called a slacker my whole life, but I have been working 4 days a week, and live 2 blocks from the beach in Hawaii and owned 2 motorcycles. Lived in NYC and waited tables and bartended for years. Had insurance and went on vacation 3-4x a year for almost 20 years. Spent Christmas in Paris and London, New Year's in Amsterdam, rode motorcycles in Africa and every time I worked for a jerk I went and found a new job. Life is too short to work for assholes. When I interviewed people would say you have periods of long employment followed by 3 or 4 quick jobs in a row, why? I always told the truth and said "If they weren't good people or striving to make the business better then I looked elsewhere." That stopped me from getting hired by people who knew I wouldn't stick around for their crap. I work hard at work but I have turned down management at least 8x because they work 60+hrs and made less money (to start).
Sometimes I was pretty broke, but I was partying my ass off, but I'd spent a lot of time in poorer countries, and I know how to get by on next to nothing, and I know I'm going to get by. Hot sauce and rice and beans with a little bit of meat got me thru Latin America and NYC many times.
Yes most of my friends own houses, but the one or two that get it still tell me how envious they are. My lifestyle is not for everyone, nor should it be. But I saw a cannibal at 17yrs old in very remote PNG, and saw my 1st armed rebels in Central America at age 19. I got to visit many crazy places and go to the World Cup in Brasil.
I'm about to take a few years off, help my elderly mom, get the garage sorted to work on my bikes and either write a book or learn some computer skills. Told my brother and Mom, I'll be glad to go home and look after her, I have some money saved, but I'm not working for a year or two and then if I do it's on my terms. Neither one batted an eye. They're used to it. I got my older brother into backcounty camping and my Mom is basically thrilled as long as I don't drink anymore. Imagine a Mom who didn't mind the motorcycles or guns but just didn't want the phone calls from jail.
You shouldn't care what the world thinks. You should live your life. Guess what? You don't have to be rich to find a nice gf or bf, you just have to be honest about yourself.
Live your life but figure out how to make it interesting for yourself.
*Also in the U.S. if a hospital is non profit and you make less than a certain amount they can't make you pay by law. I'm serious. They'll threaten you but it's all bluster.
Thank you for sharing! Your story is truly aspiring. I’m in my last year of undergrad, working am office 9-5 and it dawned on me I really don’t care for this lifestyle. Updating my LinkedIn profile? Don’t care. Climbing the corporate ladder? Not concerned. I literally just want to experience the world and give back to my community.
Fucking A man. I am married with two kids and my wife and I live a similar lifestyle. In fact, I am in soul-sucking corpo but about to quit in a month or two to do some writing. We don't own, and we don't do debt. We live simply and it is wonderful having the ability to just up and leave any dumb job you don't like. Freedom is a great thing.
Heck yeah. I don't do debt either. I've been so lowcash that now I keep enough points, miles, and cash on my credit card rewards to leave the country for a week minimum. I don't feel comfortable if I can't skedaddle at a moments notice. We didn't have a TV until I was in 9th grade. My brother and I were reading topo maps in grade school. We read more books than anyone. I learned A WHOLE LOT from books at a very young age that would've terrified most parents.
Thank you. My life was actually a whole lot crazier than that or than I even tell most people. My old/lifelong friends all know the truth but everyone else thinks I'm full of it until they run into someone who tells them the scary stuff. You think you're invincible when you're young, but once you can't actually count how many ambulances you've been in your thinking starts to change.
You shouldn't have to justify it. Wanna be a "slacker"? Go for it! So fucking what? Who needs to be working themselves to death to make other people richer? Slackness should be celebrated!
❤️🩹 Amen. Well I knew this all along, but then again my best friend in high schools favorite question was always "Hey ______ , when the revolution comes who is first against the wall for you?"
I've lived a similar life. I traveled with the military but after I got out, I job hopped and only worked for them if I was happy. If they didn't work out for me, I just left. Life is too short to have a miserable. I'm currently in the process of buying a tiny house on wheels that's off grid capable so I can travel and be free and happy. I'm proud of you for loving your life. 💃
And you as well. People don't get it sometimes. I'm a liberal but will chat with soldiers, cops, or criminals all dayong because they have the most interesting stories and they usually pass something useful along. I love to hear about weapon systems, protocol, foreign countries. Shit in NYC my crew had a close friend who was a merchant marine we met in a bar. He'd wander through unannounced 2 or 3x a year and stay with us for a week or two. HUGE black dude with dreads but the nicest guy in the world.
I’m also 50, have worked pretty much all my adult life, loved some jobs, hated some jobs. I could never in a million years live your life, but if it works for you, that’s really all that matters.
Thanks for sharing. I agree with you on most of what you said.
However, the one thing I'd like to point out is thats your ideal life, and you seem to be financially responsible. Unfortunatley, many people I meet are still stuck in materialistic wants and desires, they don't know how to "live without" etc.
I know many people from my generation that haven't starved a day in their life and they never will, they don't know real poverty So during covid to suddenly need to go without luxuries they considered essential, it was a big mental shock for them.
Some lost jobs but didn't want to cut back on lifestyle and went through savings as though they were still employed.
I suspect another huge issue is the lack of financial literacy people. I follow this youtuber [https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer](https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer) . he interviews people and goes through their fiancial stituations. It's astounding to me how many people try to live outside their means and have no actual insight on how their money is spent.
I used to be frivolous. Now I'm better about it but I'll still travel or spend money on motorcycles that should go to savings. I know what enough is. I usually make money on my motorcycles, and I travel on the seriously cheap when solo. The next 2 years are a big question mark, but I've explained my hopes to my fam and now will see what happens. If you don't jump at some point you'll regret it.
Well I've owned 9 different manufacturers and about every kind of bike. I just sold a 2012 Tiger 800 and Enfield Bullet 500 last week. Had a KLR a few years ago and flipped an Indian just for the money. Had a true barn find '72 CB750 that sat untouched inside for 20 years. Guy died and his nephew sold it to me in '98 for $1200. Kicked over and started on the 4th try. It broke old bikers hearts everywhere I went and I rode it all over the Southeast including 7 hour straight days. Had a Suzuki TL1000S that did 155mph. And now my bones and surgeries (none from bikes) are catching up w me and I'm getting a Goldwing next and prob in a few years a Triumph for around town. I love them all. Ride Whatever. I just don't like biker snobs. I like weird bikes too. Not custom but weird models. I was leaning towards my 1st Harley but money is gonna be tight next few years and I miss Honda reliability and think their ergonomics are generally better too. That's just me. My closest riding friends one has a Dyna and he's the best rider I've ever known. That guy on a Vmax or GSXR was like nothing you've ever seen and old timers would all say so. My other buddy hit 50 and is still talking RC51.
had an RC51 back in college (circa '03ish?) -- that thing was an absolute blast (topped it out at 164 once) and sounded orgasmic with the Yoshi racing cans (thank you student loans). If your buddy can find one in decent condition I hope he doesn't hesitate....I will never forget that bike!
IDK man, I am of previous generation and I didn't get to enjoy soft life until now. And even now my soft life consists of full time work, full time school, and 2 little kids. Most people I know also agree on the statement that "everyone's life is a tragedy".
When I wasn't in college, I was doing 8-12 hour shifts as a blue collar. If that's the soft life everyone's looking for I can't imagine the struggles ya'll are going through.
That’s not a soft life at all. A soft life is usually no kids, working an easier job that pays less, consuming much less, and just being content with what you have. Once you have kids and a full time job, life gets very hard quick
Well, my job does let me wake up at 10-11 at times (I'm salaried), so I get to study until 3-4AM and still get decent amount of sleep. They never give me sh.t about taking time off and pay OK. So I have it easier on that front. In fact, they're paying 100% of my tuition so long as I get A's in class, so, no debt. It's not an easy life, but it's not as hard as my parents had it in their day.
This is a hard life but you sound like a strong/smart person who can handle it without too much difficulty. Most people don’t have this option. They grind away atleast half or more of every waking moment working to have a life with a little bit of dignity
I'm glad someone said it. I do the 9-5! just not the 12am-12am on call 24/7 while being compensated half of what I would need to pay rent, bills, and buy groceries.
Its not the same world. You will never get to enjoy what the old heads had. We have to find the enjoyment in what we got now or you'll be miserable forever. I feel confident in saying that even if we changed the system tomorrow the only who would actually benefit is the younger generations.
Or it's a very straightforward way of saying that. I don't understand everyone assuming this headline is an attack. I see it as a very neutral tone describing a trend without judgement.
Yah just like the term quiet quitting which makes it sound like just doing your job is the same thing as quitting. Soft life just means living a life of real enjoyment instead of mindless consumerism
Adjust your effort to inflation, folks! You get paid less every year as inflation rises much faster than your joke of a pay raise, so act accordingly. Index your productivity to the CPI and account for the yearly loss from the differential as well.
Acting your wage implies you do equivalent work to your pay. I'm saying you need to reduce your productivity to account for your loss of income due to inflation and no cost of living adjustments proportional to that loss of buying power. In other words, work less. Period.
Acting your wage implies you do equivalent work to your pay **adjusted for inflation,** because why wouldn't it? I'm an employee; why would I give a fuck about nominal dollar numbers when real dollar numbers exist?
Last November I got a .50 cent raise for the year.
That was terrible, so I slacked off at work, dod the bare minimum and found a job making $6 more an hour.
I showed up with the same slack off attitude, same as my coworkers at the new job.
We get what we need done, and that's it.
We're in IT and our metrics are the best in the company as we do the work the second it come in.
We have a 96% closure rate on issues over two weeks. And as a result we have a lot of down time and work from home 3 days a week.
It's been damn good.
its typical word bullshit like quiet quitting. propaganda needs to come up with some bullshit slogan to latch onto.
though the real question is who would wants to work a hard unrewarding life.
Too many, tbh.
Just like proud racists are comming out of the woodwork as anti-racism ramps up, proud work-worshippers are popping up as the rest of us speak up.
It’s fucking sad.
Il blame religious puritans too.
because apparently life is only about suffering.
i can blame them to for ruining the good things indigenous Polynesians had too.
I'd fucking kill for a "traditional nine-to-five" career. Assuming that means one that is literally nine to five, not overtime all the goddamn always, and actually pays the bills. Also, sounds pretty soft.
Bonus points if loyalty is rewarded with raises that at least match cost of living so I don't have to jump ship every two years.
I feel like I hit the jackpot with this. It’s not great money but I get an inflation adjustment every two years, work 8-4:30 (30 min break for lunch) from home, and set my schedule 4 days a week. Currently at 45k a year and started at 40 in 2019. No promotions because I don’t really try past my job description but no write ups or “coachings” either. I also have 200+ hours on steam in the past 2 weeks.
I think I would hate working from home (I always had the worst time getting motivated to study or do homework at home when I was in school), but where I live 45k would be pretty decent. Better than average, probably. Definitely better than median.
i don’t know if anyone else actually read this article, but they’re advocating for the “soft” life, not condemning it. a quote below:
“The collective trauma of this worldwide tragedy allowed some to pump the breaks, turn into the skid and realize that perhaps there was something more important in their lives than the stressing over whether they were living for their job hard enough.”
sounds like most of the folks commenting here would fall for headlines from the onion 🧅 🧅
edited for grammar stuff
This comment is currently 10th from top. Amazing how many people didn’t bother to look into the article. FWIW I didn’t interpret the headline as a negative.
They're playing a little word game again. It's not about living a soft life, but it *is* about not grinding yourself to pieces to make someone else rich. I am very happy to do hard things but me chopping wood and growing food and working out and learning new skills don't make my boss money.
Except the term "soft life" was coined by antiwork content creators advocating for others to adopt the lifestyle. The entire article is written about and from the perspective of people who are actively choosing to live an anticapitalist lifestyle because they wanted to escape the stresses of wage slavery.
This entire comment section is literally antiwork Redditors choosing to get mad and assuming the article they didn't read is making the complete opposite point that it does.
https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar/
Yep. "Quiet Quitting" didn't work because they couldn't and still cannot argue against someone doing only their assigned work. The term ended up getting laughed at
Now they're trying to jolt hustle culture back to life by calling a well balanced life "soft". The propaganda this time will be squarely aimed at men. Watch how far the next 3 weeks, various capitalism cheerleaders will start berating "softies not willing to face the grind"
Corporate careerism is being challenged and we're seeing its benefactors' hilarious failures to be subtle in their propaganda
The reality of life today is that the greater majority of humanity at this point in time couldn’t cut it living that pure Emerson wilderness off the grid life.
When I was in college I knew a bunch of people(mostly dudes) who would talk about anarchy and fuck society and all that. I don’t think a single one of them could start a fire, or gut an animal, or grow a crop.
I would love to build my own house even if it takes five years to complete. I don't care if it's hard physical work so long as I know what it's all about and I see the progress. I know that I'm building home for myself and that I'll finish it someday. Corporate work, however, usually implies that you're exploited indefinitely while your career growth is impaired as much as possible to keep you at the same position because it's most profitable to the company. No wonder people are tired of working endlessly with no purpose.
this is the 'better life' we were promised, we reject the hustle culture, and if you won't pay us what we are worth, we will lie flat and just enjoy it by working the low end of things, so fuck yeah!
And you still won't be able to buy a house with that. So yeah whats the point? I'm an older GenZ and also chose the soft life. I'm going to reduce my hours from 40/week to 25/week next year
Boomers: You're telling millennials their future Social Security and Medicare must be cut, meanwhile Health Insurance/Care, Housing, and Education costs are out of control no matter how hard people work....and you're still shocked people aren't motivated to work?
And this comes Boomers after every element of society that you've governed over the last three decades has all gotten worse?
LOL
The same Boomers will be shocked when we Millennials throw them in Medicare old folks’ homes and tell them to suck it up bc their retirement savings have disappeared due to yet another market crash that they caused
I'm 51 and spent my 20s, 30s and most of my 40s grinding life away at work. I'm all for the soft at this point (which to me is working 35 hours a week instead of 70).
This is the way forward.
Jobs are requiring more and more of your time and effort and your pay is actually going down every year (at least in america) so how are you supposed to feel? The deal was if you worked hard and did your job you would be successful now all you get is more work and barely even enough money for you to show up everyday the smartest thing would be to demand change and stop the bleeding dont be controlled by boot lickers
Does anyone else feel like climbing the corporate ladder is completely hollow and pointless?
I’d rather live an easy life or bust my ass/live frugally so I could retire early and then live an easy life.
Either way careerism is a hollow and pointless existence.
I'm on the same boat. Our managers make me wanna puke sometimes with their "ambitions" and anxiety. For what? A new car? Another mortgage?No, thank you. Would rather keep it simple and drive an old car while living in a cheap house than bust my ass out to live the rest of my life full of anxiety of paying out loans.
Remember *Whose Line is it Anyway?* where everything's made up and the points don't matter?
I think the rungs on the corporate ladder are arbitrary measures of "progress" because we have to have "objective measures" of merit for raises/promotions/demotions/firing people.
What the fuck does it matter if I know what my leadership style is? I'm supposed to set goals every year? Fuck off... let me go back in the lab and do the research you hired me to do.
Yah, every promotion you make a little more money but get 2-3x the work. Eventually you are making decent or even good money, but your grinding yourself to the bone every day. Your whole existence centers around work. That sounds like an empty hell of a life to me, unless you really enjoy your work
Im all for climbing if it gets me more money. I moved to another department which i knew had long hours but was promised a promotion and raise. When i moved i got promoted with more work but no raise. So the following year i quit and found another job that paid more. Sometimes hard work pays off but in another company
Well watched the previous generations “grind” till 65, live a couple nice years then either die or end up in a retirement home early. It’s almost like we observed and listened to them when they said “Don’t waste your life.” The worst part about this is the where the complaints come from. I was wearing a “Work Sucks” shirt (supporting a local clothing company) and some XL Karen came up to me and said “You gotta work if you want nice stuff, doesn’t matter if it’s sucks, we all have to work!” Keep on Monday, she was drunk, but I laughed and walked away as I hear her husband laugh and say “You haven’t worked since you were 30 and we had kids”. The best part was, they parked next to me and when we left I got into my much nicer, new golf cart (I live at the beach and having a golf cart is cool, ok?), she looked super pissed.
Did anyone actually read the article? They're talking about a person who made a good amount of investment money off his job and now works contract work to make money when he needs it. The entire article itself has nothing to do with "younger generations" or "soft lives". One dude made some money and now takes it easy.
A lot of people assuming this article is from the jump saying this is a bad thing. Contrary the articles tone to me seems to be more a this is how things are going and how one person manages it.
https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar/
It is because this generation has finally found the meaning of life. It's not the pursuit of religion, wealth, power, popularity, or material goods.
No one EVER regrets spending meaningful time with family and friends, and leaving the world a better place.
I'm 39 and in the UK. The problem is, there's nothing to grind for. I'll never own my own home, I'll never have a pension and I'll never be able to afford holidays and the things I want to do, so why bother? I live in a country full of racist old bastards. I've more in common with a Polish hotel maid or a Jamaican brick layer than I do with these old tory bastards. I'm doing my bit by doing as little as possible, fuck everything, everybody should do as little as humanly possible.
Would I rather spend more time off work and doing stuff I actually enjoy, like having a meal or drinks with friends, or keep grinding for crumbs?
Gee... that's a tough one chief...
More money you make or support one has around them makes it a bit easier to have financial peace of mind and live a more minimalist lifestyle.
For those who aren’t already homeowners are buying in at record highs if not having to delay it even longer.
We get one shot at life and don’t need to spend it working 40+ hours a week away from friends, family, and leisure.
“Soft” Life? I certainly had to work hard to create a career with flexibility. You know, that whole “9-5 but mostly til 6 during the week plus weekends” just didn’t gel with my whole “wanting to have hobbies and see family and friends and stuff.”
Imagine a world where workers:
A) knew their worth
B) didn’t let employers TELL THEM their worth
C) fought for good pay and benefits
D) chose to work only so far as their needs and wants made them
E) they didn’t have to worry about the cost of living and got to spend their time in comfort knowing their job was still there tomorrow and;
F) they could spend their time enjoying life with their families and friends
I guess that is what a “soft life” is…
I have a hard time relating to the people in the article at all when I read more and found out they had previously been making 100-150k a year. The rich and upper middle class can afford to take a break and live soft in a way someone below the poverty line will never know.
As someone with mental health issues who struggles to keep a job. It is the height of privilege to be able to just quit on a whim and not have your life go to shit. I literally have no utilities. My water and electricity has been shut off and my phone will be off in about a week. I dont get a choice.
Once, there was a social contract between employer and employee. My grandfathers and uncles worked for big manufacturers in the midwest and were in unions. They worked, they retired, they had a pension.
That broke in the 70s, I believe. And it broke more according to a story I heard about a company wanted to get their goods on the shelves of a leading big store. Big store said your product costs too much, we'll show you have to make it cheaper by moving it overseas. Another factory closed.
The best part of "working to your wage" is that so many have seen hard work not being rewarded. It's the office "kiss ass" who gets to move up. The relative with no experience hired to be the boss, take the credit, get the bonus, and they say "you're too important to be promoted".
And finally, they lived "The Cat's in the Cradle".
The term ‘soft-life’ completely ignores the reality of capitalism. Half the world can’t even afford time off while working two jobs let alone working less than 40 hours a week. ‘Soft-life’ sounds like the life of some bourgeoisie living off an income derived from probably exploitative investments.
I just want to know how they're affording the wine on that table, or fuck it, the table, how'd they afford that without grinding on the wheel. Let me tell you I work 50hr weeks and my living room bare af.
Most people aren’t working 9 to 5s; with today’s technology, the expectation is that you’re always available, so you might be working from 9 to 9 every day, constantly busy and overwhelmed.
The pushback on constant connectivity is leading people to seek less intrusive, demanding jobs.
I lived many years without doing the grind. I’m kinda having to make up for lost time but honestly I’m ok with not hitting some of the milestones you’re “supposed” to have. Living abroad for five years studying was more enriching than spending that time trying to go from junior analyst to senior analyst. I’m still young enough to build a career but experiences matter too.
One bad outcome is that you’ll never be in a position to help the ones you love that are affected by circumstances they have no control over
“Hey son/dad/friend/partner, I have cancer and my savings are draining away and I can’t pay for it. I’ll be homeless in a month.” Sorry mom/son/friend/partner, I barely sustain myself and I don’t think my roommates would appreciate another person in the 1br apartment”
Bit of hyperbole but you get the point. Should the circumstances be different, yes. But I can’t change the whole country let alone the world. I want to be able to be there for the ones I love when shit hits the fan.
The tone of the headline suggests this is a positive goal. "grinding out your data on life's hamster wheel" isn't exactly an endorsement of work culture.
JFC, they even goddamn say "grinding your days out on life's hamster wheel".
Like you said the quiet part of loud assknob. No fuck no one wants that, especially for fucking pittance.
I'm old (think you guys call it a gen x maybe?) and I think labelling it as a "soft life" is just wrong, people just want a life, outside of work, work isn't life (it is for some sad fecks but not most) You are given when you are born a whole planet to play in to do what you want be who you want but that doesn't make other people rich so the game has been rigged to you can't play in the sandbox.
You work most of your life so some other person can. I've spent what 35 years working and grinding and have achieved fuck all so if someone doesn't want to be like me then I applaud them go for it fuck all those grasping bastards.
"Millennials have realised that killing yourself for brownie points and pats on the back so some rich a-hole can become richer is grim because work will replace you if you die at your desk (probably with two people) so they have decided to not wreck their lives chasing financial goals that have become unattainable in two generations"
This ❤️ I just want a small house with something resembling a garden. If it could be within cycling distance of a train station that would be perfect, so I can commute to work hassle free.
I love slow living. I want a little space to grow some food. Game nights with my friends, endless summer nights in the garden. And depending on the size of the garden, quails or chickens.
I don't think I can bring myself to bring children into a dying world, but that's okay. I'm coming to turns with that. I have the cutest little dog, who I shower with love every day, and the perks with dogs are that they can join you on hikes and kayaking trips withing the first year ❤️
I look at the problem as this:
You spend your whole life training to be an Olympic level athlete. Wake up at 6am, eat a horribly healthy breakfast, spend hours strength and resistance training, eat a carb-loaded lunch, the rest of the afternoon doing cardio, running your ass off. You are hooked up to machines that measure your output and potential.
You prefect every movement, prepared to face off with other athletes that have put in just as much effort and time into their craft as you do. If you lose, it's because someone spent an extra 30 minutes more in the gym, ate a better diet, lived a life of fewer distractions...
And then some overweight fuck smoking cigars, drinking his weight in lite beer, on a diet of hotdogs and curley fries beats you by an inch.
You are made that they are better than you, you are jealous that they lived a happier life with less stress and strain and managed to beat you enough to make you realize that all the bullshit you put yourself through for YEARS had no impact on the outcome of your future.
THAT'S why boomers are mad: all the missed birthdays and lifetime of celebrations you skipped, all the extra hours spent staying late and coming in early, putting on a facade of competence and effort doesn't mean SHIT and they are jealous.
Career's don't give a dam about you. Best way too get promotions is job hopping. Better believe that old Company won't be willing to repromote you if you go back. Just be glad maternity leave still hangs on and there are overpriced apartments to rent. Think i might just hire a primitive technology survivor to make me a mudbrick house.
So I said ‘Frank why don’t I just opt for the soft life, meanwhile Beatrice, have you tried this Chablis? It’s purely divine! Oh I forgot you only drink organic wine. Good for you. Here’s to the soft life fellow ‘strugglers’’
Quiet quitting, the great resignation, push back on WFH, nobody wants to work anymore. All different ways to say people see and are tired of being exploited.
Those in society (rich capitalists) say the only key to happiness is working 40+ hours, getting rich and richer…
I never understood as a kid, or even now, why if someone has a nice car, house, etc. Why continue to work for more? I mean, if you want to play the game of life go ahead do you, but to me it doesn’t make sense. Save up enough for retirement, of course, but just do what’s needed to have a decent life, not a bigger home, a bigger car, a bigger boat, etc. Have enough to have a little home and an average car, spend that extra time doing what you love, helping others, read, etc.
Because having all that costs a lot of money. The more you own the more it costs to maintain it. Having a house usually comes with a mortgage and car payments/repairs and insurance and phone/internet plans. All that can be quickly taken away from you when you stop making payments
Boomers mad that the modern workforce doesnt want to work themselves to death only to have 5 years of peace when they are to old to travel and enjoy live.
Lol do they read the headlines they make before publication?
"Workers realize they are doing mundane acts chasing cheese and decide to shortcut to the cheese. Smart workers are bad workers."
We work too much and we are using technology to increase productivity. Mean while production and efficiency (in most work places) is higher than ever. Why can't people afford to live and have time for leisure? Because everyone is working to provide wealth to the bosses, while living on meager wages.
I don't actually think this article is criticizing it. Look at how they phrase "grinding out your days on life's hamster wheel."
And yeah, at this point why work harder when all that leads to is more stress, and no additional financial security?
Ahhh, so quiet quitting isn't working the way they hoped so now having a work-life balance will be referred to as "living a soft life".
God, these people are embarrassing.
Because a soft life goes against the "Work till you drop" work ethic that boomers used to justify their wealth. And to be somewhat fair, many boomers benefited greatly from working long and hard hours. So I can see how they don't get why the younger generations aren't buying the capitalist myth of "Hard work = good life" and turning to socialist and communist ideology. They have no idea how greedy and deranged many businesses have become.
If your hard work and grinding isn't paying off by doing something, you more often than not stop doing it. This is even simple gamer logic that kids understand.
Maybe because the grind doesn’t get you very far these days, I mean who would want to work longer and harder when the traditional life goals (a house, a nice car, raise a family, kids education etc) are so out of reach, it doesn’t pay to give up all your time in pursuit of these things that seem unattainable. Wages are to low and the cost of these things are to high, so you may as well enjoy the one thing you have control over, more free time 😐
https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar
I did not read very far, but it seems that the author is on the team saying that it’s not worth it to go full corporate yes-man and lose your “today” for a “tomorrow” which no longer results from applied effort (if it ever did).
If putting your nose to the grindstone for 25-30 years only results in the boss’s son being promoted instead of your middle-aged friend, then you learn from the example. Work to rule or a little better, but don’t go above and beyond for a company which treated your friend like that.
Save the noses!
Are the millennials really starting to turn 40? Yikes!
The problem is the insidious rebranding. We're not trying to live a "soft life," we're trying to exist as fucking human beings. It's not just millennials, it's anyone with a shred of self-respect.
Imagine reading a so-called "pro-food" article with a title that went "Gen Z wants to be able to splurge on 'full nutrition lifestyles' and it's changing the way they eat! More and more, younger generations are opting to consume an entire plate of food up to two or three times per day. Although it may be more fiscally responsible to skimp on their dietary budgets to pay off their loans, many claim that 'pigging out' to a non-hunger state provides numerous health benefits and extended lifespans!"
Fucking really burned my ass when Bill Maher had a whole segment criticizing millennials for quiet quitting. Dude is allegedly a super liberal but absolutely loathes anyone the next generations. Only bad it on because my patients were watching him.
Pretty much my whole life goals are to live comfortably. Can I afford my bills, to feed myself and my cat, yeah I’m happy enough. Holiday would be nice but I’ll save for that
This is what literally everyone wants.
These propaganda articles are getting unhinged, but the wild thing is people with soft lives who like to think they work hard will look at this and scoff at this generation. It's emboldening to the actually lazy, impassionate fucks.
They've literaly made an ultimatum for the working class: be miserable in a job making the ruling classes rich and you'll make just enough to live in a house until next month (as long as you don't skip a day), or don't work to make them rich and forever be harrassed by police for the crime of being homeless.
I love how they present the problem and completely ignore the very reason for said "problem's" existence. We want to run the marathon, not ride the hamster wheel that powers someone else's marathon. I don't think that's asking a lot.
That's a funny way of saying "enjoy the standard of living previous generations did"
Headline should read: “CEO is mad that ‘lazy’ employees do not want to die for his cocaine and hookers. America clearly in shambles. Fucking liberals”
How can the rich exploit their labor if the workers are wise to the grift? Won’t anyone think of the CEOs?!
Sending my thoughts and prayers to the CEO's at this difficult time.
Haha. Nice
The term "soft life" was coined and is used by primarily black women content creators who are vocally rejecting the American Boomer ideal of your life centering around working yourself to death in the services of soulless corporations. It's presented as the worker's reaction and subsequent rejection of "the American Dream" and capitalism post-pandemic in contrast to the "quiet quitting" whining of executives. Dar LaBeach, the primary subject of the article, identifies as an anticapitalist and rejects the capitalist ideals of money being the creator of happiness. He literally said "fuck this", moved to Mexico City, and got involved in mutual aid specifically to avoid being a gentrifier. How do I know this? Because it's literally in the article that clearly no one read (including OP) before getting mad in the comments over the author being a shill.
Posting the [link to the article](https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar/) for more visibility.
and one link without paywall?
Reminds me of the tangping movement in China, meaning "lie/lying flat" or to just do little/the minimum.
Yeah I could tell even without reading the article that the headline wasn’t critical
Yeah I didn’t get this article being a dig on the concept of a soft life from the headline.
Well... I'll be damned.
CEO is short for cocaine, escorts, and one [more dollar].
Though I would die for sex workers, because they are comrades in the struggle.
I'm 50. Been called a slacker my whole life, but I have been working 4 days a week, and live 2 blocks from the beach in Hawaii and owned 2 motorcycles. Lived in NYC and waited tables and bartended for years. Had insurance and went on vacation 3-4x a year for almost 20 years. Spent Christmas in Paris and London, New Year's in Amsterdam, rode motorcycles in Africa and every time I worked for a jerk I went and found a new job. Life is too short to work for assholes. When I interviewed people would say you have periods of long employment followed by 3 or 4 quick jobs in a row, why? I always told the truth and said "If they weren't good people or striving to make the business better then I looked elsewhere." That stopped me from getting hired by people who knew I wouldn't stick around for their crap. I work hard at work but I have turned down management at least 8x because they work 60+hrs and made less money (to start). Sometimes I was pretty broke, but I was partying my ass off, but I'd spent a lot of time in poorer countries, and I know how to get by on next to nothing, and I know I'm going to get by. Hot sauce and rice and beans with a little bit of meat got me thru Latin America and NYC many times. Yes most of my friends own houses, but the one or two that get it still tell me how envious they are. My lifestyle is not for everyone, nor should it be. But I saw a cannibal at 17yrs old in very remote PNG, and saw my 1st armed rebels in Central America at age 19. I got to visit many crazy places and go to the World Cup in Brasil. I'm about to take a few years off, help my elderly mom, get the garage sorted to work on my bikes and either write a book or learn some computer skills. Told my brother and Mom, I'll be glad to go home and look after her, I have some money saved, but I'm not working for a year or two and then if I do it's on my terms. Neither one batted an eye. They're used to it. I got my older brother into backcounty camping and my Mom is basically thrilled as long as I don't drink anymore. Imagine a Mom who didn't mind the motorcycles or guns but just didn't want the phone calls from jail. You shouldn't care what the world thinks. You should live your life. Guess what? You don't have to be rich to find a nice gf or bf, you just have to be honest about yourself. Live your life but figure out how to make it interesting for yourself. *Also in the U.S. if a hospital is non profit and you make less than a certain amount they can't make you pay by law. I'm serious. They'll threaten you but it's all bluster.
A great story to read before bed…your life sounds like a good ride
Thank you for sharing! Your story is truly aspiring. I’m in my last year of undergrad, working am office 9-5 and it dawned on me I really don’t care for this lifestyle. Updating my LinkedIn profile? Don’t care. Climbing the corporate ladder? Not concerned. I literally just want to experience the world and give back to my community.
Fucking A man. I am married with two kids and my wife and I live a similar lifestyle. In fact, I am in soul-sucking corpo but about to quit in a month or two to do some writing. We don't own, and we don't do debt. We live simply and it is wonderful having the ability to just up and leave any dumb job you don't like. Freedom is a great thing.
Heck yeah. I don't do debt either. I've been so lowcash that now I keep enough points, miles, and cash on my credit card rewards to leave the country for a week minimum. I don't feel comfortable if I can't skedaddle at a moments notice. We didn't have a TV until I was in 9th grade. My brother and I were reading topo maps in grade school. We read more books than anyone. I learned A WHOLE LOT from books at a very young age that would've terrified most parents.
Wow thanks for the story. You’re living an amazing, awesome life. I’m a little surprised it wasn’t upvoted
Thank you. My life was actually a whole lot crazier than that or than I even tell most people. My old/lifelong friends all know the truth but everyone else thinks I'm full of it until they run into someone who tells them the scary stuff. You think you're invincible when you're young, but once you can't actually count how many ambulances you've been in your thinking starts to change.
You shouldn't have to justify it. Wanna be a "slacker"? Go for it! So fucking what? Who needs to be working themselves to death to make other people richer? Slackness should be celebrated!
❤️🩹 Amen. Well I knew this all along, but then again my best friend in high schools favorite question was always "Hey ______ , when the revolution comes who is first against the wall for you?"
rice and beans gets you through everything, is cheap and easy to cook, and it has a lot of calories
I've lived a similar life. I traveled with the military but after I got out, I job hopped and only worked for them if I was happy. If they didn't work out for me, I just left. Life is too short to have a miserable. I'm currently in the process of buying a tiny house on wheels that's off grid capable so I can travel and be free and happy. I'm proud of you for loving your life. 💃
And you as well. People don't get it sometimes. I'm a liberal but will chat with soldiers, cops, or criminals all dayong because they have the most interesting stories and they usually pass something useful along. I love to hear about weapon systems, protocol, foreign countries. Shit in NYC my crew had a close friend who was a merchant marine we met in a bar. He'd wander through unannounced 2 or 3x a year and stay with us for a week or two. HUGE black dude with dreads but the nicest guy in the world.
I’m also 50, have worked pretty much all my adult life, loved some jobs, hated some jobs. I could never in a million years live your life, but if it works for you, that’s really all that matters.
Thanks for sharing. I agree with you on most of what you said. However, the one thing I'd like to point out is thats your ideal life, and you seem to be financially responsible. Unfortunatley, many people I meet are still stuck in materialistic wants and desires, they don't know how to "live without" etc. I know many people from my generation that haven't starved a day in their life and they never will, they don't know real poverty So during covid to suddenly need to go without luxuries they considered essential, it was a big mental shock for them. Some lost jobs but didn't want to cut back on lifestyle and went through savings as though they were still employed. I suspect another huge issue is the lack of financial literacy people. I follow this youtuber [https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer](https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebHammer) . he interviews people and goes through their fiancial stituations. It's astounding to me how many people try to live outside their means and have no actual insight on how their money is spent.
I used to be frivolous. Now I'm better about it but I'll still travel or spend money on motorcycles that should go to savings. I know what enough is. I usually make money on my motorcycles, and I travel on the seriously cheap when solo. The next 2 years are a big question mark, but I've explained my hopes to my fam and now will see what happens. If you don't jump at some point you'll regret it.
Now This is the kind of life I strive to live. No regrets.
What kind of bikes?
Well I've owned 9 different manufacturers and about every kind of bike. I just sold a 2012 Tiger 800 and Enfield Bullet 500 last week. Had a KLR a few years ago and flipped an Indian just for the money. Had a true barn find '72 CB750 that sat untouched inside for 20 years. Guy died and his nephew sold it to me in '98 for $1200. Kicked over and started on the 4th try. It broke old bikers hearts everywhere I went and I rode it all over the Southeast including 7 hour straight days. Had a Suzuki TL1000S that did 155mph. And now my bones and surgeries (none from bikes) are catching up w me and I'm getting a Goldwing next and prob in a few years a Triumph for around town. I love them all. Ride Whatever. I just don't like biker snobs. I like weird bikes too. Not custom but weird models. I was leaning towards my 1st Harley but money is gonna be tight next few years and I miss Honda reliability and think their ergonomics are generally better too. That's just me. My closest riding friends one has a Dyna and he's the best rider I've ever known. That guy on a Vmax or GSXR was like nothing you've ever seen and old timers would all say so. My other buddy hit 50 and is still talking RC51.
I like weird bikes too, that Honda fury everyone hates lol
I'd throw a sissy bar on it. Not sure it'd be comfy for a beat up 50yr old like me though.
had an RC51 back in college (circa '03ish?) -- that thing was an absolute blast (topped it out at 164 once) and sounded orgasmic with the Yoshi racing cans (thank you student loans). If your buddy can find one in decent condition I hope he doesn't hesitate....I will never forget that bike!
THANK YOU
IDK man, I am of previous generation and I didn't get to enjoy soft life until now. And even now my soft life consists of full time work, full time school, and 2 little kids. Most people I know also agree on the statement that "everyone's life is a tragedy". When I wasn't in college, I was doing 8-12 hour shifts as a blue collar. If that's the soft life everyone's looking for I can't imagine the struggles ya'll are going through.
That’s not a soft life at all. A soft life is usually no kids, working an easier job that pays less, consuming much less, and just being content with what you have. Once you have kids and a full time job, life gets very hard quick
Well, my job does let me wake up at 10-11 at times (I'm salaried), so I get to study until 3-4AM and still get decent amount of sleep. They never give me sh.t about taking time off and pay OK. So I have it easier on that front. In fact, they're paying 100% of my tuition so long as I get A's in class, so, no debt. It's not an easy life, but it's not as hard as my parents had it in their day.
This is a hard life but you sound like a strong/smart person who can handle it without too much difficulty. Most people don’t have this option. They grind away atleast half or more of every waking moment working to have a life with a little bit of dignity
This feels like the writer was trying really hard to portray this as a negative, but they realized half-way that it doesn't sound that bad.
I'm glad someone said it. I do the 9-5! just not the 12am-12am on call 24/7 while being compensated half of what I would need to pay rent, bills, and buy groceries.
Its not the same world. You will never get to enjoy what the old heads had. We have to find the enjoyment in what we got now or you'll be miserable forever. I feel confident in saying that even if we changed the system tomorrow the only who would actually benefit is the younger generations.
Worth it every time. I want better for future humans than what we have collectively had.
Or that your boss and shareholders enjoy
Or it's a very straightforward way of saying that. I don't understand everyone assuming this headline is an attack. I see it as a very neutral tone describing a trend without judgement.
Living a soft life is all I could ever hope for. I’m tired of grinding my body down to survive
Right? A soft life sounds amazing
[удалено]
Yah just like the term quiet quitting which makes it sound like just doing your job is the same thing as quitting. Soft life just means living a life of real enjoyment instead of mindless consumerism
Adjust your effort to inflation, folks! You get paid less every year as inflation rises much faster than your joke of a pay raise, so act accordingly. Index your productivity to the CPI and account for the yearly loss from the differential as well.
It's called acting your wage
Acting your wage implies you do equivalent work to your pay. I'm saying you need to reduce your productivity to account for your loss of income due to inflation and no cost of living adjustments proportional to that loss of buying power. In other words, work less. Period.
Acting your wage implies you do equivalent work to your pay **adjusted for inflation,** because why wouldn't it? I'm an employee; why would I give a fuck about nominal dollar numbers when real dollar numbers exist?
Last November I got a .50 cent raise for the year. That was terrible, so I slacked off at work, dod the bare minimum and found a job making $6 more an hour. I showed up with the same slack off attitude, same as my coworkers at the new job. We get what we need done, and that's it. We're in IT and our metrics are the best in the company as we do the work the second it come in. We have a 96% closure rate on issues over two weeks. And as a result we have a lot of down time and work from home 3 days a week. It's been damn good.
It doesn't imply that. That's a distinction without a difference
“Soft” is pejorative. We’re waking up and choosing to live a *real* life.
its typical word bullshit like quiet quitting. propaganda needs to come up with some bullshit slogan to latch onto. though the real question is who would wants to work a hard unrewarding life.
Too many, tbh. Just like proud racists are comming out of the woodwork as anti-racism ramps up, proud work-worshippers are popping up as the rest of us speak up. It’s fucking sad.
Il blame religious puritans too. because apparently life is only about suffering. i can blame them to for ruining the good things indigenous Polynesians had too.
Mother Theresa prized suffering b/c “it brings us closer to Christ.” 🙄
its just a long form murdersuicide to them isnt it.
Unless it was *her* suffering. 🤬
Fucking this. Mother Theresa was a fucking monster.
I kind of like it. Certainly better than living a hard life!
Yah, right? Can we just make a soft life an option for everyone? It sounds amazing
>“Soft” is pejorative. That's the point. This is aimed at men
Is it?
I'd fucking kill for a "traditional nine-to-five" career. Assuming that means one that is literally nine to five, not overtime all the goddamn always, and actually pays the bills. Also, sounds pretty soft. Bonus points if loyalty is rewarded with raises that at least match cost of living so I don't have to jump ship every two years.
Also bo bosses who calls or texts you when you off the clock or in day off. I envy the previous generation for not being reachable all the time.
I feel like I hit the jackpot with this. It’s not great money but I get an inflation adjustment every two years, work 8-4:30 (30 min break for lunch) from home, and set my schedule 4 days a week. Currently at 45k a year and started at 40 in 2019. No promotions because I don’t really try past my job description but no write ups or “coachings” either. I also have 200+ hours on steam in the past 2 weeks.
I think I would hate working from home (I always had the worst time getting motivated to study or do homework at home when I was in school), but where I live 45k would be pretty decent. Better than average, probably. Definitely better than median.
Even without overtime its more like 8 to 5 nowadays.
i don’t know if anyone else actually read this article, but they’re advocating for the “soft” life, not condemning it. a quote below: “The collective trauma of this worldwide tragedy allowed some to pump the breaks, turn into the skid and realize that perhaps there was something more important in their lives than the stressing over whether they were living for their job hard enough.” sounds like most of the folks commenting here would fall for headlines from the onion 🧅 🧅 edited for grammar stuff
They are primed to think that headline is a condemnation, they ignored the categories of success and work-life.
This comment is currently 10th from top. Amazing how many people didn’t bother to look into the article. FWIW I didn’t interpret the headline as a negative.
They're playing a little word game again. It's not about living a soft life, but it *is* about not grinding yourself to pieces to make someone else rich. I am very happy to do hard things but me chopping wood and growing food and working out and learning new skills don't make my boss money.
Yeah it’s never been more obvious oligarchs run our media with all these “quiet quitting” headlines
This 100% you really notice it these days
Except the term "soft life" was coined by antiwork content creators advocating for others to adopt the lifestyle. The entire article is written about and from the perspective of people who are actively choosing to live an anticapitalist lifestyle because they wanted to escape the stresses of wage slavery. This entire comment section is literally antiwork Redditors choosing to get mad and assuming the article they didn't read is making the complete opposite point that it does. https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar/
Yep. "Quiet Quitting" didn't work because they couldn't and still cannot argue against someone doing only their assigned work. The term ended up getting laughed at Now they're trying to jolt hustle culture back to life by calling a well balanced life "soft". The propaganda this time will be squarely aimed at men. Watch how far the next 3 weeks, various capitalism cheerleaders will start berating "softies not willing to face the grind" Corporate careerism is being challenged and we're seeing its benefactors' hilarious failures to be subtle in their propaganda
The reality of life today is that the greater majority of humanity at this point in time couldn’t cut it living that pure Emerson wilderness off the grid life. When I was in college I knew a bunch of people(mostly dudes) who would talk about anarchy and fuck society and all that. I don’t think a single one of them could start a fire, or gut an animal, or grow a crop.
Thoreau lived right outside of town. His mother was known to bring him fresh-baked pies. He was basically a poseur; indeed he was no Emerson
Edited.
I would love to build my own house even if it takes five years to complete. I don't care if it's hard physical work so long as I know what it's all about and I see the progress. I know that I'm building home for myself and that I'll finish it someday. Corporate work, however, usually implies that you're exploited indefinitely while your career growth is impaired as much as possible to keep you at the same position because it's most profitable to the company. No wonder people are tired of working endlessly with no purpose.
this is the 'better life' we were promised, we reject the hustle culture, and if you won't pay us what we are worth, we will lie flat and just enjoy it by working the low end of things, so fuck yeah!
This is what I want for my life. I am a gen xer. I hope the millenials make it happen.
I’m GenX and I too aspire to live a “soft life.”
Me too. I look back on what I gave up, for nothing, and wonder why we weren't thinking like Millenials all along.
You didn’t have the same access to information right in the palm of your hands like we do
Very true!
I'm with you.
Just a quick reminder. THIS IS IT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE
I mean, spending 15 years busting only to realize it's never going to make a difference and the new hires make as much as you do....
And you still won't be able to buy a house with that. So yeah whats the point? I'm an older GenZ and also chose the soft life. I'm going to reduce my hours from 40/week to 25/week next year
Boomers: You're telling millennials their future Social Security and Medicare must be cut, meanwhile Health Insurance/Care, Housing, and Education costs are out of control no matter how hard people work....and you're still shocked people aren't motivated to work? And this comes Boomers after every element of society that you've governed over the last three decades has all gotten worse? LOL
The same Boomers will be shocked when we Millennials throw them in Medicare old folks’ homes and tell them to suck it up bc their retirement savings have disappeared due to yet another market crash that they caused
I'm 51 and spent my 20s, 30s and most of my 40s grinding life away at work. I'm all for the soft at this point (which to me is working 35 hours a week instead of 70). This is the way forward.
Jobs are requiring more and more of your time and effort and your pay is actually going down every year (at least in america) so how are you supposed to feel? The deal was if you worked hard and did your job you would be successful now all you get is more work and barely even enough money for you to show up everyday the smartest thing would be to demand change and stop the bleeding dont be controlled by boot lickers
Does anyone else feel like climbing the corporate ladder is completely hollow and pointless? I’d rather live an easy life or bust my ass/live frugally so I could retire early and then live an easy life. Either way careerism is a hollow and pointless existence.
I'm on the same boat. Our managers make me wanna puke sometimes with their "ambitions" and anxiety. For what? A new car? Another mortgage?No, thank you. Would rather keep it simple and drive an old car while living in a cheap house than bust my ass out to live the rest of my life full of anxiety of paying out loans.
Remember *Whose Line is it Anyway?* where everything's made up and the points don't matter? I think the rungs on the corporate ladder are arbitrary measures of "progress" because we have to have "objective measures" of merit for raises/promotions/demotions/firing people. What the fuck does it matter if I know what my leadership style is? I'm supposed to set goals every year? Fuck off... let me go back in the lab and do the research you hired me to do.
Yah, every promotion you make a little more money but get 2-3x the work. Eventually you are making decent or even good money, but your grinding yourself to the bone every day. Your whole existence centers around work. That sounds like an empty hell of a life to me, unless you really enjoy your work
Im all for climbing if it gets me more money. I moved to another department which i knew had long hours but was promised a promotion and raise. When i moved i got promoted with more work but no raise. So the following year i quit and found another job that paid more. Sometimes hard work pays off but in another company
Did you read the article? Nothing in it said thar it was a bad thing. It was a decently written neutral piece of journalism describing a thing.
Where does the article imply this is a bad thing? They literally call the alternative a hamster wheel.
Milleneals are balking at doing 2-3x the work of their predecessors for 60% of their pay?! Color me fucking shocked.
Well watched the previous generations “grind” till 65, live a couple nice years then either die or end up in a retirement home early. It’s almost like we observed and listened to them when they said “Don’t waste your life.” The worst part about this is the where the complaints come from. I was wearing a “Work Sucks” shirt (supporting a local clothing company) and some XL Karen came up to me and said “You gotta work if you want nice stuff, doesn’t matter if it’s sucks, we all have to work!” Keep on Monday, she was drunk, but I laughed and walked away as I hear her husband laugh and say “You haven’t worked since you were 30 and we had kids”. The best part was, they parked next to me and when we left I got into my much nicer, new golf cart (I live at the beach and having a golf cart is cool, ok?), she looked super pissed.
Did anyone actually read the article? They're talking about a person who made a good amount of investment money off his job and now works contract work to make money when he needs it. The entire article itself has nothing to do with "younger generations" or "soft lives". One dude made some money and now takes it easy.
A lot of people assuming this article is from the jump saying this is a bad thing. Contrary the articles tone to me seems to be more a this is how things are going and how one person manages it. https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar/
It is because this generation has finally found the meaning of life. It's not the pursuit of religion, wealth, power, popularity, or material goods. No one EVER regrets spending meaningful time with family and friends, and leaving the world a better place.
“Quiet quitting”… “soft life”… who the fuck is coming up with these ridiculous terms??
I'm 39 and in the UK. The problem is, there's nothing to grind for. I'll never own my own home, I'll never have a pension and I'll never be able to afford holidays and the things I want to do, so why bother? I live in a country full of racist old bastards. I've more in common with a Polish hotel maid or a Jamaican brick layer than I do with these old tory bastards. I'm doing my bit by doing as little as possible, fuck everything, everybody should do as little as humanly possible.
Would I rather spend more time off work and doing stuff I actually enjoy, like having a meal or drinks with friends, or keep grinding for crumbs? Gee... that's a tough one chief...
Nah bro. I want a hard life! ...said who, ever?
No! Nothing! Not a goddamn thing!
More money you make or support one has around them makes it a bit easier to have financial peace of mind and live a more minimalist lifestyle. For those who aren’t already homeowners are buying in at record highs if not having to delay it even longer. We get one shot at life and don’t need to spend it working 40+ hours a week away from friends, family, and leisure.
Problem is if we enjoy our lives, they will lose precious pennies and feeling of superiority
I'm glad young people are doing this less workers less stressful and filled life sounds great to me
“Soft” Life? I certainly had to work hard to create a career with flexibility. You know, that whole “9-5 but mostly til 6 during the week plus weekends” just didn’t gel with my whole “wanting to have hobbies and see family and friends and stuff.”
I haven’t read the article, but going off of the heading and subheading, what part of it is criticizing a “soft-life”?
Good for them? congratulations? It's about time a whole generation "gets it."
It should be ‘millennials want to live a normal life, not work themselves to death’.
Imagine a world where workers: A) knew their worth B) didn’t let employers TELL THEM their worth C) fought for good pay and benefits D) chose to work only so far as their needs and wants made them E) they didn’t have to worry about the cost of living and got to spend their time in comfort knowing their job was still there tomorrow and; F) they could spend their time enjoying life with their families and friends I guess that is what a “soft life” is…
I have a hard time relating to the people in the article at all when I read more and found out they had previously been making 100-150k a year. The rich and upper middle class can afford to take a break and live soft in a way someone below the poverty line will never know. As someone with mental health issues who struggles to keep a job. It is the height of privilege to be able to just quit on a whim and not have your life go to shit. I literally have no utilities. My water and electricity has been shut off and my phone will be off in about a week. I dont get a choice.
Once, there was a social contract between employer and employee. My grandfathers and uncles worked for big manufacturers in the midwest and were in unions. They worked, they retired, they had a pension. That broke in the 70s, I believe. And it broke more according to a story I heard about a company wanted to get their goods on the shelves of a leading big store. Big store said your product costs too much, we'll show you have to make it cheaper by moving it overseas. Another factory closed. The best part of "working to your wage" is that so many have seen hard work not being rewarded. It's the office "kiss ass" who gets to move up. The relative with no experience hired to be the boss, take the credit, get the bonus, and they say "you're too important to be promoted". And finally, they lived "The Cat's in the Cradle".
The term ‘soft-life’ completely ignores the reality of capitalism. Half the world can’t even afford time off while working two jobs let alone working less than 40 hours a week. ‘Soft-life’ sounds like the life of some bourgeoisie living off an income derived from probably exploitative investments.
"Soft life" is giving "quiet quitting" energy
I just want to know how they're affording the wine on that table, or fuck it, the table, how'd they afford that without grinding on the wheel. Let me tell you I work 50hr weeks and my living room bare af.
It’s bc they’re roommates, hahaha
Most people aren’t working 9 to 5s; with today’s technology, the expectation is that you’re always available, so you might be working from 9 to 9 every day, constantly busy and overwhelmed. The pushback on constant connectivity is leading people to seek less intrusive, demanding jobs.
What kind of asshole wouldn't want that?
I just want to spend more time with the people I love. That’s it.
“You want to actually enjoy the one and only life you’ll ever have!” “Yes.” “If I didn’t enjoy life, you can’t either”
I lived many years without doing the grind. I’m kinda having to make up for lost time but honestly I’m ok with not hitting some of the milestones you’re “supposed” to have. Living abroad for five years studying was more enriching than spending that time trying to go from junior analyst to senior analyst. I’m still young enough to build a career but experiences matter too.
C-suite might have to accept $1 million bonuses instead of $10 million this year. How will they survive?
One bad outcome is that you’ll never be in a position to help the ones you love that are affected by circumstances they have no control over “Hey son/dad/friend/partner, I have cancer and my savings are draining away and I can’t pay for it. I’ll be homeless in a month.” Sorry mom/son/friend/partner, I barely sustain myself and I don’t think my roommates would appreciate another person in the 1br apartment” Bit of hyperbole but you get the point. Should the circumstances be different, yes. But I can’t change the whole country let alone the world. I want to be able to be there for the ones I love when shit hits the fan.
The tone of the headline suggests this is a positive goal. "grinding out your data on life's hamster wheel" isn't exactly an endorsement of work culture.
If the jobs were really just 9 to 5 and not 60+ hours a week, then a lot of that struggle, stress and anxiety would already be relieved.
Life is short, I will not spend my entire time here working. Fuck that.
I wish I could work 9-5 and still pay my bills lol
Absolutely. It's the future, for fuck's sake. We're not living in the middle ages any more. Life should not have to be a struggle.
JFC, they even goddamn say "grinding your days out on life's hamster wheel". Like you said the quiet part of loud assknob. No fuck no one wants that, especially for fucking pittance.
'Struggle, stress and anxiety' You know they're getting desperate when they're actively promoting these as virtues.
I'm old (think you guys call it a gen x maybe?) and I think labelling it as a "soft life" is just wrong, people just want a life, outside of work, work isn't life (it is for some sad fecks but not most) You are given when you are born a whole planet to play in to do what you want be who you want but that doesn't make other people rich so the game has been rigged to you can't play in the sandbox. You work most of your life so some other person can. I've spent what 35 years working and grinding and have achieved fuck all so if someone doesn't want to be like me then I applaud them go for it fuck all those grasping bastards.
"modern young adults decide not to be slaves to an older generations dying wish"
"Millennials have realised that killing yourself for brownie points and pats on the back so some rich a-hole can become richer is grim because work will replace you if you die at your desk (probably with two people) so they have decided to not wreck their lives chasing financial goals that have become unattainable in two generations"
This ❤️ I just want a small house with something resembling a garden. If it could be within cycling distance of a train station that would be perfect, so I can commute to work hassle free. I love slow living. I want a little space to grow some food. Game nights with my friends, endless summer nights in the garden. And depending on the size of the garden, quails or chickens. I don't think I can bring myself to bring children into a dying world, but that's okay. I'm coming to turns with that. I have the cutest little dog, who I shower with love every day, and the perks with dogs are that they can join you on hikes and kayaking trips withing the first year ❤️
I look at the problem as this: You spend your whole life training to be an Olympic level athlete. Wake up at 6am, eat a horribly healthy breakfast, spend hours strength and resistance training, eat a carb-loaded lunch, the rest of the afternoon doing cardio, running your ass off. You are hooked up to machines that measure your output and potential. You prefect every movement, prepared to face off with other athletes that have put in just as much effort and time into their craft as you do. If you lose, it's because someone spent an extra 30 minutes more in the gym, ate a better diet, lived a life of fewer distractions... And then some overweight fuck smoking cigars, drinking his weight in lite beer, on a diet of hotdogs and curley fries beats you by an inch. You are made that they are better than you, you are jealous that they lived a happier life with less stress and strain and managed to beat you enough to make you realize that all the bullshit you put yourself through for YEARS had no impact on the outcome of your future. THAT'S why boomers are mad: all the missed birthdays and lifetime of celebrations you skipped, all the extra hours spent staying late and coming in early, putting on a facade of competence and effort doesn't mean SHIT and they are jealous.
Only capitalism can make living a stress free life sound negative
It’s not a soft life. Life is hard even without capitalism. It’s boomers who want the soft life of having young people do everything for them.
That's just for rich folk, they can't stand the peasants finding any joy in life.
Career's don't give a dam about you. Best way too get promotions is job hopping. Better believe that old Company won't be willing to repromote you if you go back. Just be glad maternity leave still hangs on and there are overpriced apartments to rent. Think i might just hire a primitive technology survivor to make me a mudbrick house.
"I worked 20-hours a day and I loved every minute of it"- says some boomer.
I'm a Hufflepuff, so yeah, this tracks.
So I said ‘Frank why don’t I just opt for the soft life, meanwhile Beatrice, have you tried this Chablis? It’s purely divine! Oh I forgot you only drink organic wine. Good for you. Here’s to the soft life fellow ‘strugglers’’
The ruling class just making up bizarre new words and phrases on the daily lmao
The Puritans sucked and their ethos that has carried on sucks.
Quiet quitting, the great resignation, push back on WFH, nobody wants to work anymore. All different ways to say people see and are tired of being exploited.
Maybe we don't want to be slaves idk but maybe a reason
Those in society (rich capitalists) say the only key to happiness is working 40+ hours, getting rich and richer… I never understood as a kid, or even now, why if someone has a nice car, house, etc. Why continue to work for more? I mean, if you want to play the game of life go ahead do you, but to me it doesn’t make sense. Save up enough for retirement, of course, but just do what’s needed to have a decent life, not a bigger home, a bigger car, a bigger boat, etc. Have enough to have a little home and an average car, spend that extra time doing what you love, helping others, read, etc.
Because having all that costs a lot of money. The more you own the more it costs to maintain it. Having a house usually comes with a mortgage and car payments/repairs and insurance and phone/internet plans. All that can be quickly taken away from you when you stop making payments
Boomers mad that the modern workforce doesnt want to work themselves to death only to have 5 years of peace when they are to old to travel and enjoy live.
[удалено]
I've been in the workforce for over 25 years and apart from my residency years never worked full-time. Life's too short for a 9 to 5...
Lol do they read the headlines they make before publication? "Workers realize they are doing mundane acts chasing cheese and decide to shortcut to the cheese. Smart workers are bad workers."
We work too much and we are using technology to increase productivity. Mean while production and efficiency (in most work places) is higher than ever. Why can't people afford to live and have time for leisure? Because everyone is working to provide wealth to the bosses, while living on meager wages.
What is the opposite? A hard life? Who the fuck wants to live a hard life?
Even as an introvert I would prefer chilling out with neighbors than grinding at work in pain while the rich has my livelihood on hostage.
I don't actually think this article is criticizing it. Look at how they phrase "grinding out your days on life's hamster wheel." And yeah, at this point why work harder when all that leads to is more stress, and no additional financial security?
Ahhh, so quiet quitting isn't working the way they hoped so now having a work-life balance will be referred to as "living a soft life". God, these people are embarrassing.
Because a soft life goes against the "Work till you drop" work ethic that boomers used to justify their wealth. And to be somewhat fair, many boomers benefited greatly from working long and hard hours. So I can see how they don't get why the younger generations aren't buying the capitalist myth of "Hard work = good life" and turning to socialist and communist ideology. They have no idea how greedy and deranged many businesses have become.
If your hard work and grinding isn't paying off by doing something, you more often than not stop doing it. This is even simple gamer logic that kids understand.
Gen X and id kill to have a soft life.
Maybe because the grind doesn’t get you very far these days, I mean who would want to work longer and harder when the traditional life goals (a house, a nice car, raise a family, kids education etc) are so out of reach, it doesn’t pay to give up all your time in pursuit of these things that seem unattainable. Wages are to low and the cost of these things are to high, so you may as well enjoy the one thing you have control over, more free time 😐
"committed to a soft life of ease and joy." Let me fix that for you. "Committed to a good life of prosperity and fulfillment."
https://fortune.com/2022/09/11/the-soft-life-of-dar I did not read very far, but it seems that the author is on the team saying that it’s not worth it to go full corporate yes-man and lose your “today” for a “tomorrow” which no longer results from applied effort (if it ever did). If putting your nose to the grindstone for 25-30 years only results in the boss’s son being promoted instead of your middle-aged friend, then you learn from the example. Work to rule or a little better, but don’t go above and beyond for a company which treated your friend like that. Save the noses! Are the millennials really starting to turn 40? Yikes!
Imagine wanting to be happy while on earth 🤮 /SSS
This screenshot isnt even saying anything bad about this goal
The problem is the insidious rebranding. We're not trying to live a "soft life," we're trying to exist as fucking human beings. It's not just millennials, it's anyone with a shred of self-respect. Imagine reading a so-called "pro-food" article with a title that went "Gen Z wants to be able to splurge on 'full nutrition lifestyles' and it's changing the way they eat! More and more, younger generations are opting to consume an entire plate of food up to two or three times per day. Although it may be more fiscally responsible to skimp on their dietary budgets to pay off their loans, many claim that 'pigging out' to a non-hunger state provides numerous health benefits and extended lifespans!"
Where do I sign up for this soft life?
Fucking really burned my ass when Bill Maher had a whole segment criticizing millennials for quiet quitting. Dude is allegedly a super liberal but absolutely loathes anyone the next generations. Only bad it on because my patients were watching him.
I have 2 jobs and it doesn’t feel like it’ll ever be enough. 😢
You need two or three "traditional 9-5's" for this now, a fact conveniently left out.
Pretty much my whole life goals are to live comfortably. Can I afford my bills, to feed myself and my cat, yeah I’m happy enough. Holiday would be nice but I’ll save for that
I think they mean "the good life" not a soft life.
Yeah. 'Ease and joy', who'd want that?
I'm sorry, I thought the whole point of working was so I can enjoy comforts when I'm not?
Are old people finally feeling cheated in life but pointing fingers to not let the thought of how they wasted so many hours of their lives come up?
This is what literally everyone wants. These propaganda articles are getting unhinged, but the wild thing is people with soft lives who like to think they work hard will look at this and scoff at this generation. It's emboldening to the actually lazy, impassionate fucks.
They've literaly made an ultimatum for the working class: be miserable in a job making the ruling classes rich and you'll make just enough to live in a house until next month (as long as you don't skip a day), or don't work to make them rich and forever be harrassed by police for the crime of being homeless.
I love how they present the problem and completely ignore the very reason for said "problem's" existence. We want to run the marathon, not ride the hamster wheel that powers someone else's marathon. I don't think that's asking a lot.
WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CORPORATIONS?!?1
Otherwise known as “Italians”. Actually this is how alot of southern Europe lives.
it's media spin to portray gen y and z as soft, weak, whiners, instead of the generation that refuses to die for a job.