---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But on the other hand, if you come under…"
description: "\"But on the other hand, if you come under circumstances where each person is entitled to a pro-rata share of the pot, to take an extreme example, or eve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/milton-friedman-616_circumstances_but-on-the-other-hand-if-you-come-under_2666447.png"
---

#  But on the other hand, if you come under circumstances…

![“But on the other hand, if you come under circumstances where each person is entitled to a pro-rata share of the pot, to take an extreme example, or even to a low level of the pie, than the effect of that situation is that free immigration, would mean a reduction of everybody to the same, uniform…” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/milton-friedman-616_circumstances_but-on-the-other-hand-if-you-come-under_2666447.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/milton-friedman-616_circumstances_but-on-the-other-hand-if-you-come-under_2666447.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/milton-friedman-616_circumstances_but-on-the-other-hand-if-you-come-under_2666447.png)

> “But on the other hand, if you come under circumstances where each person is entitled to a pro-rata share of the pot, to take an extreme example, or even to a low level of the pie, than the effect of that situation is that free immigration, would mean a reduction of everybody to the same, uniform level. Of course, I'm exaggerating, it wouldn't go quite that far, but it would go in that direction. And it is that perception, that leads people to adopt what at first seems like inconsistent values.”

[Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He argues that free immigration tends to equalize incomes, potentially lowering overall standards, though he acknowledges exaggeration.

**In simple terms:** Free immigration may lower income levels for all.

Key Takeaway

Consider immigration’s economic impact.

Themes

economics immigration inequality

Mood

analytical critical

Type

economic political

When to use this quote

- policy debate
- public discourse
- economic analysis
- immigration reform

Key Concepts

market dynamics distribution effects

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the benefits of immigration?
- How does immigration affect wages in different sectors?

A Different Perspective

Oversimplifies complex labor market effects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

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