I think all of us cover the brakes sometimes. It's really a matter of where your threshold lies, above which you cover the brakes. For example, on the business streets near my house, with weekday traffic, I keep the brakes covered at all times. The same streets, early on Sunday morning, don't merit that type of caution, because I'm almost the only one on them. On steep uphills I'm rarely on the brakes as well. I'm usually so slow that it's close to being stopped anyway.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with one being riding no-hands, arms folded at chest, and ten being covering the brakes at every moment, I'd put myself at a 7. I'm getting up there in years now, and don't bounce back from falls like I used to, and I've had enough road rash already to last me the rest of my life. I still take risks, but they're a bit more measured.