The free man, who lives among the ignorant, strives, as far as he can, to avoid receiving favours from them.
Proof .-- Everyone judges what is good according to his disposition (III.xxxix.

note); wherefore an ignorant man, who has conferred a benefit on another, puts his own estimate upon it, and, if it appears to be estimated less highly by the receiver, will feel pain (III.

xlii.).

But the free man only desires to join other men to him in friendship (IV.

xxxvii.), not repaying their benefits with others reckoned as of like value, but guiding himself and others by the free decision of reason, and doing only such things as he knows to be of primary importance.