Anyone who knows me is aware that Shoshanna from Girls is one of my soul sisters. I always related to her the most of all the characters as she was trying to figure out her life. Like Shoshana, I am constantly trying to “grow into a fully formed woman” and often feel pressure to be more aggressive and assertive. I relate to how incredibly naïve, often annoying, yet, usually loveable Soshanna is. Though, I would argue she’s a bit more loveable. So, it should come as no surprise that I constantly update myself on what is going on in the real Shoshanna’s life, actress Zosia Mamet.
Last week, Zosia Mamet made the most accurate point about feminism that I have heard in awhile. She said women should not have to “lean in”. While this is probably blasphemy to the large group of feminists that subscribe to “Lean In” like a bible, it made perfect sense to me. Mamet is trying to reconstruct the way we see feminism, and she could 
not be more correct about her critiques.
“Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” is a book written by Sheryl Sandberg. The book encourages women to assert themselves in their careers and achieve the same power that men receive in America’s workforce. This method praises women who work their way up the corporate ladder in a male-dominated society.
However, this method is failing a large group of women. Today’s modern idea of “feminism” is utilizing the tools and measurements of a patriarchal society. Instead of supporting solidarity within women, “Lean In” asks them to view others as competitors and work within the confines of a largely male corporate world where women in mass will never succeed.
In the “Lean In” method, women are urged to go toe-to-toe with men and strive for high-ranking positions. Often times a person is viewed as someone to be envious of or valued in relation to his or her paycheck instead of whether he or she is happy. Society worships strong females like Hillary Clinton who break through the glass ceiling and achieve a wide range of power. While Clinton and women like her are worthy o
f admiration, it’s important to realize that complete command of one’s field is wonderful but not necessary in order to be truly successful in life.
Throughout the article, Zosia Mamet explains she would be viewed as a failure if she woke up one day and decided she wanted to leave acting behind and open up a coffee shop. As a popular actress of the hit TV show Girls, few, if any, would understand why she would want to give up the power, prestige, and fame that goes along with her profession.
Mamet is hinting that society values happiness in a woman’s life less than power. If you ask me, there is something incredibly wrong with this order of importance. Mamet is trying to reconstruct the way we not only see feminism, but the way we should see life. We need to be working to dismantle the ideas of success and happiness in relation to power and wealth.
So, in order to grow into my own idea of a successful and happy woman, I chose to accept a four-month unpaid internship in Dublin starting in August. Many may view this step as naïve and irresponsible when I could be accepting a full-time entry-level position. However, I see it as four months that will bring me a lifetime of memories and happiness. In my eyes, that is success.
-Kelsey
The Millennial Muse 