If the majority of the population thought that way, we'd have an economic collapse though, so forget what I said.
...or a much better society.
In fact work is preferable to how I spend a lot of my free time. Would I like to work more flexible hours and get paid the same to work 30 hours instead of 37.5 a week then sure, but otherwise what would money be buying freedom from?
I suppose owning a house out-right would be freedom from worrying about security of housing, and having a large cash reserve in a few currencies would be security from political instability.
Perhaps that I only have to worry about these "big" things means I already qualify as rich from my existing income, but "not working" is definitely not a goal I align to (yet).
Most of the work we have to do is not life changing or world changing, or even makes the world a slightly better place for anyone other than the ownership.
One day you might want to fully explore a new technology or framework, but your current work environment isn't interested and you aren't well versed enough, or there aren't any jobs in your area related to that technology. Spending time after work is an option, but when you get older and have a family, the harder that is.
To me money is freedom to not have to work, or be able to work on what I want to work on, explore what I want to explore, etc.
A diverse portfolio is better protected against inflation, cash ought to make up some of a diverse portfolio but not a large proportion of it. Bonds are a better way of having cash-denominated assets since they still have returns while not being particularly risky (in the general case).
Cash is still useful however because it is easy to access quickly without losing value to having to sell quickly and doesn't incur fees.