Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s trip to Myanmar where he meditated on a “concrete floor” has brought on a barrage of online mockery for being both a cartoonish whim of the super-rich and a ‘tone deaf’ choice of country on top of that.
Dorsey, with a net worth of some $ 4.5 billion, felt the righteous wrath of the monster he co-founded after sharing the details of his birthday present to himself – a meditation trip to Myanmar – with his 4.12 million followers.
Dorsey described his humbling “experience” in Myanmar in painstaking detail in a series of tweets on Sunday. In one of the tweets, he dwelled upon how uncomfortable it was to sit on a bare concrete floor “cross-legged for an hour without moving.”
“Pain arises in the legs in about 30-45 minutes. One’s natural reaction is to change posture to avoid the pain. What if, instead of moving, one observed the pain and decided to remain still through it?” the now-enlightened Dorsey tweeted.
Imagine sitting on a concrete floor cross-legged for an hour without moving. Pain arises in the legs in about 30-45 minutes. One’s natural reaction is to change posture to avoid the pain. What if, instead of moving, one observed the pain and decided to remain still through it?
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
Documenting his journey, Dorsey shared that vipassana, a Buddhist meditation technique, is “extremely painful and demanding physical and mental work.”
“I wasn’t expecting any of that my first time last year. Even tougher this year as I went deeper.”
Dorsey’s description of his self-inflicted (and paid for) suffering, however, did not go over well on Twitter, with comments pointing out how many people have similar “experiences”, minus the choice to opt out.
That sounds much like the experience of most panhandlers. Except, they don't have a guaranteed meal or bath, warmth or caring human companionship, after their sessions.
— nina eleanor alter (@ninavizz) December 9, 2018
What if I chose to create pain in my body because I'm so bored with my life? Yes, that is an interesting question. 🤔
— Snow Björk ⛄ ❄️ (@T_MECE) December 9, 2018
Dorsey also tweeted a picture of his “basic”, charity-provided room in Myanmar and listed the strict rules imposed on him, such as “no devices, reading, writing, physical exercise, music, intoxicants, meat, talking, or even eye contact with others.”
I did my meditation at Dhamma Mahimã in Pyin Oo Lwin. This is my room. Basic. During the 10 days: no devices, reading, writing, physical excercise, music, intoxicants, meat, talking, or even eye contact with others. It’s free: everything is given to meditators by charity. pic.twitter.com/OhJqXKInD3
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
The Twitter CEO couldn’t resist the temptation to bring a couple gadgets, though – because who meditates without a pulse tracker in 2018?
“I also wore my Apple Watch and Oura ring, both in airplane mode. My best meditations always had the least variation in heart rate.”
The admission sparked another wave of ridicule, with one user calling it “the most tech billionaire thing ever.”
This is the most tech billionaire thing ever
— Eddie DaRoza (@EddieDaRoza) December 9, 2018
Literally no tech devices allowed during the ten days, but yeah, sure, go off….
— this bitch productions (@thisbitchprods) December 9, 2018
“During the 10 days: no devices,”
Airplane mode, tho.
— SomethingFischy (@edfischman) December 9, 2018
Things didn’t get better for Dorsey after he shared a picture of himself meditating in a cave, where he said he was “bit 117 times by mosquitoes” in the first 10 minutes.
We also meditated in a cave in Mandalay one evening. In the first 10 minutes I got bit 117 times by mosquitoes 🦟 They left me alone when the light blew a fuse, which you can see in my heart rate lowering. pic.twitter.com/rz59Wx9yHF
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
While some admired his counting skills, others branded the whole stunt “ridiculous to the point of parody.”
This is ridiculous to the point of parody.
— hotdogitsclaire (@hotdogitsclaire) December 9, 2018
Oh you are so Zen. This is what happens with very wealthy white men who are so rich and disconnected- they think a stunt like this is impressive & shows some sort of humility. It doesn’t Jack. It shows you are Tone Deaf. Truly.
— Its_Me_Kate (@_LOVEINVAIN) December 9, 2018
Dorsey’s descriptions and pictures were so unbelievably stereotypical, they triggered comparisons with the main antagonist of HBO’s Silicon Valley Gavin Belson, also a filthy rich and self-obsessed tech executive who took a pseudo-spiritual journey to Tibet.
Everyone's saying this and that about Jack Dorsey's meditation vacation in Myanmar. My turn!
Has it at least been acknowledged how profoundly unimaginative it is? I mean, is Gavin Belson his role model, rather than the giant warning sign the character is supposed to be? pic.twitter.com/BvRdmo0VPT
— Kevin Boyd (@Beryllium9) December 9, 2018
On top of showing off his tech billionaire privilege, Dorsey was called ‘tone deaf’ for choosing Myanmar as the backdrop to frame his serene pilgrimage. The country is the scene for ongoing persecution of Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh in what is described by the UN as the fastest-growing refugee crisis.
#Rohingya are literally being exterminated by #Myanmar authorities, social media are helping amplifying the genocide and meanwhile, Jack Dorsey proudly tweets about the amazing silent retreat he did in Myanmar on his birthday. It speaks volume (pun intended). https://t.co/FXm0gP79h6
— Rim-Sarah Alouane (@RimSarah) December 9, 2018
Jack Dorsey has a net worth of $ 4.5 billion and has the gall to ask himself, "how do I stop suffering?" in a country that is committing genocide against Rohingya Muslims https://t.co/ttGcJPDfO9
— the communist daughter (@priyavprabhakar) December 9, 2018
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