So said Pope Benedict XV1 and he wasn`t wrong.  Nice one, Benny.  And his quotation seems entirely appropriate following Boris`s announcement yesterday that rather than the Government continuing to issue instructions about how to behave in the pandemic, the emphasis will now be on people taking personal responsibility for their own actions in dealing with friend Covid.

There has been a clamour for `Freedom Day` from the more vocal wing of the Tory party and from the leaders of industries such as hospitality and travel.   Boris has given in to all that presumably on the basis that if he had not done so then no-one would like him or vote for him any more.   Such is the considered depth of political priority rather than one which genuinely puts the wellbeing of the majority of people first.

So, personal responsibility is the new mantra and it will be instructive to discover how much of the population understands and acknowledges what that really means.  For example, it should not mean gathering together whooping and hollering in large groups without wearing masks or keeping a sensible distance; it should not mean using public transport or going to large shopping malls or shops without wearing face covering; it should not mean 60,000 spectators at Wembley, bars and night clubs opening. But it should mean respecting those around us, protecting ourselves and others by simply being sensible and bearing the social responsibility and concern for other people that should lie within each of us.   Trouble is, I suspect there`s a sizeable section of the population who will ignore all that, grasp every opportunity to express their own version of `freedom` and put the wellbeing of others at risk.  

I`ve been intrigued to hear about `mental health issues` apparently brought about by the restrictions we have been under and I do understand how difficult life must have been for those living on the 14th floor of a tower block, for example.  But there does seem to be a growth industry in self-diagnosing `mental health issues` almost as a badge of honour.  Indeed, the Government is citing mental health as one of the principle reasons to release some restrictions but I do wonder how serious the problem really is...or maybe it`s just people getting a bit fed up with things and needing to have a good moan.

I count myself fortunate to have avoided any kind of serious depression or no more anxiety than is normal for an octogenarian Saints fan struggling to survive on a fixed income.   I wonder why that should be.  Could my sang froid have its roots between 1939 and 1945 with my innocent acceptance of having to sleep under the stairs whilst the bombs went off up and down the shores of Southampton Water most nights?

But maybe I will have cause to become more concerned as I fear the worst during the next few weeks and months as the country`s version of personal responsibility is tested to its limits only for the gift of freedom to be withdrawn?