Forming human couples in the urban centres of the Western hemisphere has become extremely complicated. Early in the twenty-first century modern neoliberalism’s deregulation has irreversibly unfettered the marriage market, the choice of potential partners for both lesser and great loves has become as inexhaustible as it is infinitely promising. The intoxication of love, our final utopia, has transformed into hotly contested market. And once love has been found, it’s time for the work to begin: on the relationship and on oneself.

Where can we still find that intoxication of emotions which might give life depth and meaning, that transcendent experience which radiates across our secure everyday existence? Can our secret longing for breaking down boundaries and losing self-control only be fulfilled in conformity with the system in orgies of consumption, work or stock market fever? Has our hard-won autonomy and responsibility as a modern individual become a curse?