Comparing words and actions isn’t only important in a relationship — it applies just as much to your company or your manager…

Do you really believe they put you above their profits margin ?

Can you even decode the injunctions, the expectations, and their effects on you?

⚠️ Warning: this post isn’t for the faint of heart who’d rather keep their blinders on!

Since when did “kindness” become a strategic pillar?
Since performance sells better when dressed up as well-being and fulfillment.

Welcome to the era of neo-soft engagement: you’re no longer just asked to produce, but to “reveal yourself,” “find meaning,” “fulfill yourself in your work.”

Under the guise of taking care of employees, the instrument of control has changed.

Back then: the boss.
Today: the mission, the sense of purpose, personal growth, passion.

The result? Employees manage themselves better than any supervisor ever could. They set high standards for themselves, believing it all comes from them, and become brand ambassadors for their company even in their personal lives.

In reality, self-exploitation becomes a badge of professionalism.
Mental load becomes proof of commitment.
Overextension becomes a mark of autonomy.

We admire exhaustion because it’s beautiful, decorated, turned into a story — and because it fuels the right KPIs.
We notice it with horror in others, but never in ourselves, because “it’s my choice,” “it’s the job,” “it’s normal.”

Even the most clear-eyed fall into the trap: the whole ecosystem is built to make you feel free and willing while over-committing.
Recognition comes only through constant motion.
Belonging, through availability.
Pride… through the inability to say no.

This is an invisible, violent form of alienation.
It doesn’t fit into the usual boxes of mental health or burnout. And getting out is hard.

💬 It’s time to name it.
“Well-being” cannot be a façade to maintain permanent self-engagement.
– Am I truly free to disconnect?
– Why do I need so badly to be seen as committed?
– When did my autonomy turn into a source of exhaustion?

👁️ What you’re feeling is not a lack of motivation, nor a “slump.”
It might be the backlash from adapting too well to expectations — to the point of losing your clarity and your freedom.

Your manager is not your partner; they won’t keep you “out of love.”

In the comments, why don’t we talk about the real effects of workplace well-being policies and occupational health programs? Or perhaps about “managerial love”?

🧠 Are you concerned by Max-out :
👉 10 simple questions test : https://www.philippevivier.com/en/how-to-self-evaluate-your-relationship-to-work-ten-questions-to-detect-a-max-out.html
📄 Or read the free foundational article that presents Jean Claude’s case: https://zenodo.org/records/15720258