Why do so many people expect you to do things for free? What hides behind this mentality?

I have been managing several communities and doing marketing for over 3 or 4 years, and I have noticed a pattern where about 80% of people "test" you to see if you will do things for them for free.

I also notice that people from certain countries tend to do this more often. For example, Central and Eastern Europe + Southeast Asia.

On the contrary, people from the USA and China are willing to pay.

Can you tell me what is behind this mentality and economic model, and how to approach non-payers?

Personally, I adhere to these principles:

– Give free content that I consider appropriate.

– Ask for money for more work that is not in my "plan." ("above planned work")

– No free consultations or advice (a lot is included in my free content, and some people don't even bother to do the research).