The Freedom of Man under Capitalism Is an Effect of Competition; the Exchange of Goods and Services Is Mutual; It Is Not a Favor to Sell or to Buy; It Is a Transaction Dictated by Selfishness on Either Side

The freedom of man under capitalism is an effect of competition. The worker does not depend on the good graces of an employer. If his employer discharges him, he finds another employer. The consumer is not at the mercy of the shopkeeper. He is free to patronize another shop if he likes. Nobody must kiss other people’s hands or fear their disfavor. Interpersonal relations are businesslike. The exchange of goods and services is mutual; it is not a favor to sell or to buy, it is a transaction dictated by selfishness on either side.

--Ludwig von Mises, "The Individual in Society," in Economic Freedom and Interventionism: An Anthology of Articles and Essays, ed. Bettina Bien Greaves (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1990), 18.