What True Wealth Really Looks Like (And It Isn't Money)

09 Jun 2025 #misc

What does being wealthy truly mean?

Yesterday, before starting 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, I watched a YouTube interview with Yuval Noah Harari about that book. That was part of my new reading strategy. Authors often go on podcast tours to promote their books, sharing their insights and the intentions behind their books.

Towards the end, the interview closed with this unexpected idea:

“If you’re important, you don’t have a phone. If you work for somebody else, you have a phone”

That was shocking but eye-opening. The point isn’t about owning a phone per se but about having full control of our time. A phone means your boss might interrupt you with any apparent urgent issue.

That line hit really hard. It was only after a layoff that I realized I felt the pressure of always being available and responding to messages. I didn’t know how a salary had messed with my mind.

True wealth isn’t measured in currency, but in the ability to own our time. And I need to dump my phone.