They could kill us, of course, as the Romans did the early martyrs, as the English crown did under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and as China does today. Most often, though, they merely exclude us. But even when conformist behavior is objectively good, an action based on human respect is not that of a free adult. Taxes may eventually buy food for the poor, but the taxpayer is not practicing the virtue of charity. His motive is fear of the consequences of noncompliance.
Human respect can be devastating at any age.
We all find it agonizing to stand alone. To be comfortable is what we crave. We are social animals, and a hunger to be accepted as part of the group is built into our nature. That longing can become a powerful temptation. Today, some Catholics base their decisions on human respect because they never learned the Church's moral teachings.