r/Glasgow Tools

Of course the rules aren't an absolute. But yes, every individual action needs to be balanced against the potential impact.

But what the rules are, instead, is a social contract. A measured and scientifically-informed assessment of what we need to do, collectively, to ensure the correct direction of travel - and accepting some deaths along the way - but to eventually return to a normal, functioning society and economy.

So in that context, every action I take that breaks the rules is a very slight amount of pressure pushing against that social contract. If I go to a mates' place for beers tonight, that equates to another few other people who are obeying the rules not going to their mates' places for beers later because of the marginal impact I've had on the rate at which transmission is reduced and the delay it has on the relaxation of restrictions.

So, fundamentally, any action taken outside the rules is equivalent to saying, "I think my own right to do X exceeds other people's right to do X later, and I am willing that those who are obeying the rules have to do so for longer to pay for what I want to do right now." Separately from any direct impact on deaths it's fundamentally selfish behaviour, because it holds us all back from the freedom we all want to enjoy.

All I'm pointing out above is that, actually, yes a lot of people are sticking strictly to the rules, because they recognise the importance of that social contract. I guess it's the usual tragedy of the commons and whether you recognise that society is simply the composite of the actions of individuals like yourself and your personal actions have consequences.

(For what it's worth, on a level of pure self-concern, I also know quite a few folk my age with long covid and I'm very keen to avoid that, and I think younger folk should be far more worried about it)