When Bengaluru-based travel creator Soni Saloni quit her stable 9-5 job to pursue content creation, her Dutch boyfriend was baffled. Why leave a secure career for the uncertainties of the digital world? For years, she struggled to explain. But this summer, while living in Europe, she finally understood why he never saw her decision as unusual. Her viral LinkedIn post, captures that realization and the sharp contrasts between Indian and European work culture.
Europe’s pace: “Work to live”
In her post, Saloni described how Europe seemed to operate on an entirely different rhythm. Shops and restaurants shut early, Sundays were sacred for leisure, and summer meant entire communities doing what Indians might dismiss as “nothing.” She saw families picnicking under the sun, neighbors making music, and youngsters painting or even skinny dipping. To her, it was a cultural lesson in priorities. “They work to live and not live to work,” she wrote, adding that overtime is always compensated and 9-5 jobs rarely creep into midnight hours.
India’s hamster wheel
Her observations stood in stark contrast to her life back home. “Meanwhile in India, we keep running, working weekends. Our nervous system never gets off the hamster wheel,” she said. Citing viral remarks from business leaders advocating 90-hour work weeks, Saloni argued that India often hides under the veil of productivity while creativity and strategic thinking slowly erode. “Are we just working for the sake of working here?” she asked.
Netizens split on cultural trade-offs
The post quickly resonated online, drawing praise and debate. One LinkedIn user commented, “European people do not live to work, they work to live. Work-life balance is non-negotiable.” Another countered that Europe’s lifestyle comes with its own costs: higher taxes, slower promotions, and limited disposable income. Some recalled the Dutch idea of Niksen — the art of doing nothing — as a valuable reminder that rest can fuel creativity and wellness.
Saloni’s reflections have tapped into a broader global debate about how we define productivity and success. For many in India’s fast-paced corporate ecosystem, long hours remain a badge of honor. But her post highlights a growing generational shift, where more professionals are questioning whether endless hustle is worth sacrificing health, creativity, and quality of life.
Europe’s pace: “Work to live”
In her post, Saloni described how Europe seemed to operate on an entirely different rhythm. Shops and restaurants shut early, Sundays were sacred for leisure, and summer meant entire communities doing what Indians might dismiss as “nothing.” She saw families picnicking under the sun, neighbors making music, and youngsters painting or even skinny dipping. To her, it was a cultural lesson in priorities. “They work to live and not live to work,” she wrote, adding that overtime is always compensated and 9-5 jobs rarely creep into midnight hours.
India’s hamster wheel
Her observations stood in stark contrast to her life back home. “Meanwhile in India, we keep running, working weekends. Our nervous system never gets off the hamster wheel,” she said. Citing viral remarks from business leaders advocating 90-hour work weeks, Saloni argued that India often hides under the veil of productivity while creativity and strategic thinking slowly erode. “Are we just working for the sake of working here?” she asked.
Netizens split on cultural trade-offs
The post quickly resonated online, drawing praise and debate. One LinkedIn user commented, “European people do not live to work, they work to live. Work-life balance is non-negotiable.” Another countered that Europe’s lifestyle comes with its own costs: higher taxes, slower promotions, and limited disposable income. Some recalled the Dutch idea of Niksen — the art of doing nothing — as a valuable reminder that rest can fuel creativity and wellness.
Saloni’s reflections have tapped into a broader global debate about how we define productivity and success. For many in India’s fast-paced corporate ecosystem, long hours remain a badge of honor. But her post highlights a growing generational shift, where more professionals are questioning whether endless hustle is worth sacrificing health, creativity, and quality of life.
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