Map of life

The rules do play an identifying function to be conforming to a set of what seems to be highly formalistic arbitrary norms. In short, being a reliable member of the community that considers those norms important.

Let us put aside any reason the community might value a particular set of behavioural norms: It is enough that we understand that each community has rules and by the time they became a tradition. 

For example, wearing a mask as a protection from COVID -19, many think that the community’s obsession with wearing a mask is foolish and thus that their integrity does not allow to follow rules but in such a case there is no basis on which to demand participation as a  " social responsibility".

Integrity without a risk, where cost here are quantifiable, more often the costs are harder to calculate but that does not mean the cost does not exist.

Why does it matter to wear a mask?!

The entire Whys' conclude that the rejection of something important belongs to self-discipline and thus to deny the proposition that some rules are too trivial to matter.

COVID-19 did not apply that personal freedom is irrelevant, on the contrary, in a liberal democracy personal freedom is fundamental but so is the sense of owing duties to others that leads to imposing limits on our freedom, not because it is required by law but because it is required by morality, the morality of trying to build understanding and communicating together to keep a safe environment.

Nobody should live a life governed entirely by norms or expectations, conformity can itself be stifling and even oppressive. We are after all individuals but the exercise of choice must always be bounded by individual morality which exercises h moral judgements about various choices.