Why do we binge mindlessly on Netflix at night, and gaze – like monks before icons – at our smartphones on the 07:34 to Waterloo? We seem to be increasingly attracted to activities that put the world’s relentless demands on hold, forcing us to focus for a few eternal moments on a single, simple thing. Hot yoga? Tetris? A lakeside in the pouring rain? Anything to assuage those pesky bistro chairs.
