You’re in a conversation and someone says, “In America, the richest 1% have 40% of all the wealth. This kind of inequality shouldn’t be tolerated.”

What would you say?

The wealth gap between the upper class and everyone else is almost always framed in terms of inequality and fairness. But that doesn’t present the whole picture.

The next time you’re in a conversation and someone suggests that economic inequality is inherently unjust or unfair, here are 3 things to remember:

1. Because there’s not a fixed amount of wealth in an economy, the wealth of some doesn’t necessarily cause the poverty of others.

2. Economic inequality is often the mark of a truly free society, one that respects that the diversity of our choices and gifts often have unequal outcomes.

3. Focusing on inequality and wealth gaps distracts from the real problem of poverty.