Many people dream of a life of tranquillity and plenty. For them nothing could be better than to be a ‘lotus eater’ in some idyllic Shangri-la, where life is free from stress, or worry, or conflict. I often tell people about my encounters with religious zealots who have knocked at my door in the past to tell me about the coming paradise foretold in ancient scriptures: of a time when there will be no wars…