“I forgot about myself” – questioning the lack of self-care

This chapter examines how financial sector demands are experienced as contradicting self-care. The critical self-reflections make aspects of bourgeois masculinity palpable, which require self-discipline and sacrifice. Health crises can become catalysts for questioning masculine autonomy as men realise their dependence on bodily well-being and caring relationships. The analysis shows how self-care becomes a condition for caring for others, challenging bourgeois ethics that demand self-sacrifice. Self-reflection also emerges as necessary for conscious self-governance and responsible leadership. Bodily crisis and ensuing “bad feelings” can trigger eutopian transformations towards more sustainable life arrangements.