Common knowledge: Assets are what provide me with freedom (passive income).

Deep insight: Assets are your creditors; they demand your attention and time.

If the assets you hold require you to constantly monitor (like high-frequency trading) or worry about (like collecting rent), then you are not the owner of the assets; you are a slave to the money.

If your assets are appreciating but your bandwidth (free time) is decreasing, you are actually "losing."

True wealth is not just a single-dimensional increase in net worth, but a dual accumulation of [free cash flow] and [free time flow].