A woman's take on how Indian society defines "success" has sparked a discussion online. She questioned why people are often seen as "settled" after taking large loans, buying a car and getting married, while financial independence is often overlooked.
In an X post, Neha Patel shared her thoughts on the expectations around success and being "settled" in India. She compared the perception of a 28-year-old earning ₹1 lakh a month and living independently with someone who takes on a 25-year home loan, a 7-year car loan and spends ₹50 lakh on a wedding.
"Indian society has a strange definition of success. A 28 year old earning 1L/month while living independently is told he's 'not settled'," Patel wrote.
"But if he takes a 25-year home loan, 7 year car loan and gets married spending 50L, suddenly everyone says: 'Ab ladka settle ho gaya,'" she added.
Patel argued that financial independence is not given enough importance, while taking on debt is often treated as a sign of stability. "Basically you aren't settled until banks own your next 25 years of salary," she wrote.
