When your own private information tells you to act in a certain way, but you act in a different way because that's what you know your audience expects, you're pandering to their wishes. 

Employees do this (with their bosses). Politicians do this (with their constituents). And everyone of us has done this at one point or another. 

It's definitely the easier thing to do. It's low risk (at least in the short term). 

And a lot of people tend to think they will pander to the audience when the stakes are low but stand up for what they think is right when the stakes are high.

But that's rarely the case. 

It is easier to not pander when the stakes are low than to do so when the stakes are high.

It takes more effort to stand up for what's right when the stakes are high. 

And if we have not exercised this muscle often enough, we'll fail quite miserably at it.

Practice.