Topic: Anyone here in Mensa?

[Lono]

Hey - just curious if anyone here is in (or was in) Mensa?

I just joined recently partly because I mistkenly thought an old freind/co-worker of mine was in the local chapter - but it turns out I had mistaken him for someone with the same name apparently.

Some people here might be aware that I have a tenuous financial situation - as I has spoken about it - and I was trying to see if I could get this Mensa thing to work for me - not a ton of benefits for joining (though there ARE some interesting travel related discounts and programs) but I was hoping perhaps it will be good for job networking?

I normally cannot stand networking groups because I have low levels of dopamine receptors and superficial small talk is actually painful for me to endure...

(as is willful ignorance)

So anyways curious about your experiences there and what you might recommend to a noob - I saw they have a career center but it was mostly job postings looking for PHD's etc...  and if I had that credential I would probably already have a better job by now...

Any advice or networking with fellow Mensans would be very cool!

(feel free to pm me if you prefer discretion)

 

[FRA.E.Kehakoul_XC]

Well,i think they are just like any other elitist club,at least over here in Germany,instead of superficial smalltalk you will be exposed to bloated egos and sophisticated smalltalk and the associated piss contest.
Willful ignorance is something i would expect from some.
Sorry if this is sounding blunt but it really depends on you,and if you are in need of that kind of ego caressing.

You probably wont find people like Walther there.... (the guy from fringe).

[Lono]

Man - so Mensa is generally pretty despised from what I get - even internationally...

If nothing else I hope that I can possibly bring some reform to their image to change that.

I certainly don't mind an ego boost - but since Mensa is almost universally ridiculed - I don't know how one can really get anything more than a little quiet self-satisfaction from said membership.

I don't mind having having different strengths and weaknesses then others - but I do find that having a high IQ is at once both a strength AND a weakness as it is very hard to relate to most people I deal with daily.

Most of the people here (like on the Mensa forums) are extremely intelligent and articulate and I feel right at home - always have in fact.

Still would love to run into fellow Mensan's in my normal internet circles - as I only bother to visit areas of the web that are intellectually challenging and stimulating - and where I find those who tend to share my more cerebral interests...

Anyone at all here ever been involved?

[knightstorm]

If you want to network, you need to join the Bohemian club.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AAxKgYWrIQ

[Sirgod]

A long time ago, I was. I left for essentially the reasons that FRA.E.Kehakoul_XC .

Also you hit the point exactly when you said that  "I don't know how one can really get anything more than a little quiet self-satisfaction from said membership."

Once you realize that, you have enough Confidence in yourself that you don't need others.

All that being said, Hey if it works for ya, go for it. The group just drove me insane back in the 90's. (early 90's at that.)

Mind you though, It also might just be my general misanthropy towards people that is speaking in my old age. I just can't get into joining a group for status, while I can join groups because of general interest or fondness for others.

Stephen

[stoneyface]

they offered me membership after i did really well on their elitist bullsh*t test. i told them to go f**k themselves...


yes, i have a high i.q. i don't believe in the i.q. test to indicate intelligence. the iq test is flawed i took two and use the lowest number achieved as my "i.q." so, having a high  i.q. does not mean i want to hang out with only high i.q. people or mensa specifically. my friend and i actually started calling it mensis to make fun of it. if you only associate with other mensa members you are doing nothing but promoting elitism, and you are depriving yourself of "real" relationships. some of my best friends ever have all been non-traditional highly intelligent people. one is so low of a tested i.q. that they wanted to give him special education. this was AFTER he had 3 patents to his name.... i love to hang out with all types of people. the only group i actively avoid are those that relish their ignorance or those that foster ignorance as a "goal" (read racists). so, i really enjoyed wiping my ass with their acceptance letter and sending it back to them with a little note to let them know what i really thought of them.

[Lono]

FRA_stoneyface_XC,

Wow - you seem really aggressively angry at them - so far they have been a very friendly bunch here in Denver at least.

I am dissapointed that many who test with High IQ's - like you and Sirgod - don't find Mensa to be a community worth sticking with and improving. Apparently it has a very elitist reputation - even though over 130 milllion people (world wide) are by Mensa own stated criteria - more than eligible to join right away.

I like to think of Mensa as more of a support group for High IQ people - many of whom find it hard to make money or hold a normal job for long periods of time.

I would also like to see Mensa become more of an incubator and angel investment group for intelligent entrepeneurs - promoting and encouraging investment in fellow Mensan's endeavors - both for profit and non-profit businesses which - when brought to fruition - will gainfully employ many others in their community.

Right now I see a lot of smart people whose valuable idea's are often marginalized by ignorant, but aggressive, company executives and politicians - who spend more time serving their myopic self interest than in building lasting value in the market and in their communities where they operate.

I'd sure like to see you guys consider rejoining the front lines in this fight - if Mensa starts to reform and reinvent itself in this way!

 

Anyone here have any positive experiences with this organization?

[FRA.E.Kehakoul_XC]

My experience is that you always will be the odd guy in this scenery, regardless  if you are in a club with other odd folks or not.

And further  quite a few the people you will find here play in another league then those at Mensa.
Not in a ranking sense but,being beyond the state that allows   organizations like Mensa to appear to be a valid choice.

PEople , for example ,with parents who decided actively to NOT take their kids childhood away by putting them  on schools for highly gifted people,and let them gain a hS degree with 18teen.
NO math wonder kind with 12 etc.

ITs true ,that this means you wont  have other  Hiq kids to hang around with ,outside of those little  elite ghettos.
And you are never one of those normal guys but that isn't the case either ,if i am in such a club.
In these you just get instrumentalized ,preped  to invent BS.

In Europe they love to put such gifted people in elite schools ,with the goal to make them fit to become an asshole who later works for company's  who help other company's to find nice ways to lay of 6000 people down,and teach how to get away with it.

YOu know ,..not one joule of my energy will ever land in the hands of those assclowns.

So you end up with a 20ty year old  peeing baby, talking bs about how it is ok to destroy the lives of 6000 people,and if you listen carefully you will hear  his stupid daddy and or those elite clowns   having sold their inhumane ideas to a 20 year old blank. (pseudo Intelligent people).

TO be honest  LOno ,you sound as if you are already a member and try to sell this BS here on our board.

To say it again its not an upgrade but a downgrade if you join this kind of club,easy to see ,should be obvious.

Then again i doubt those at Mensa got this in the first place,if they had they wouldn't be  there.


That being said ,i would like to warn you,you will probably not get very nice feedback on this board regarding this matter,a very bad place to  run ads for conformity and hiding (disconnection from the common society).
As our philosophy is exactly the other way around.

[atheorhaven]

I'm not a joiner, I'm Chaotic Good.  >=)

Thought about it when I was younger, rejected it.  Had a crappy math teacher who tought us in a flawed fashion.  That being said, I can talk steady state temporal dynamic theory with anyone, but I R Know Good 4 Maff.  And seeing as a lot of IQ tests are math based (meaning that anyone good at math can conceivably do well on the test as opposed to those that R Su><orz at math are rolling dung), chose not to bother.

Nowadays, can't say that I'm that interested.  If you want a good networking group without a lot of negatives associated with it, Toastmasters is always looking for people..

[marstone]

alot of the newer IQ tests are actually spacial tests.  they dropped the math because it does give someone who was trained an advantage.  (depends on test tho)

I know I passed the Mensa test oh so many years ago, sent in an error to them also.  Never did join, but my friend did.

It might be neat to have all of us here join and mess with the group.

[Sirgod]

To give you an idea of how long ago it was , that I joined with them for a bit, OMNI magazine had this little card inside that you filled out and sent in.

I don't think OMNI has been around now for 20 years plus.

Stephen

[marstone]

yep, right with you SirGod, I took the test while I was in High School yet (10th grade I believe).  I have been out of the military for over 20 years now, so it has been awhile.  Probably wouldn't  pass it now

[Sirgod]

Heh,  I don't think I could pass any test unless it was color by number, and they would still take points away from going outside of the lines.

Sept. of 2012 will mark my 20 year anniversary of not being active in the corp , so you have a few days on me there.

I forget who said, I would reject any group that would have me as a member.

But as for Londo, shoot man, If it makes him happy , go for it.  <--- one of those life lessons the Mensa elite don't teach.

Stephen

[stoneyface]

sirgod, it was groucho marx who said, "i refuse to join any group that would have me as a member."

lono, basically i am not that overtly hostile to them, they just annoy the living piss out of me. i report almost daily in my own forum here a ton of science based articles and links. i can discuss in great detail for hours on end quantum physics and quantum mechanics. in fact, i have a great love of those two subjects. i am a believer in M-theory (10 physical dimensions, 1 space-time dimension), i believe the big bang was not a beginning but just one bang in a long line of bangs from two "branes" colliding and passing huge amounts of energy between the two. but apparently i am not up to mensa standards when it comes to dress code. lol, yes that is what i was told. when i was a foolish high school loner with a very small group of friends who were also all loners (we called ourselves "the island of misfit toys") i took the mensa test and scored very high. the local mensa group ( who actively recruited from the high school) approached me and said i would have to conform to their dress code to join. for one, i refuse to wear a pocket protector! just kidding. i went to a few meetings and they were exactly as kehakoul described. they basically sat around and bragged about their huge intellects and constantly fought among themselves to see who was the smartest. it was totally an elitist club. they had no fuction other than to apparently form internal cliques within the club and gather "apostles" under the few elders of the club. i thought the problem may be just that club so i went to several different mensa groups in the area and they were all the same! amazingly i did not fit in there or any of the mensa clubs i went to. they hated my likes at the time, they hated my clothes, my friends my non-high I.Q. friends i might add, but yet they wanted me to join them? at this time the internet was a new toy, it was just starting to come into the awareness of "normal" people, meaning non computer geek, computer club members. i started chating in severall "bbs'es" oh god! remember those? and already the opinion of the mensa group internationally was the same as mine, they were all elitist assholes who had nothing better to do that aggrandize themselves in front of others. i made the decision right there that not only would i never join, but i would do what i could to warn others of this annoying group.

[Nemesis]

i started chating in severall "bbs'es" oh god! remember those?

Remember BBSs?  I ran one.  I have many fond memories of various games played.    My friends and I were locally "famous" for playing Barren Realms Elite as "The Four Horsemen", I was Pestilence.  Many good times were had.

[marstone]

i started chating in severall "bbs'es" oh god! remember those?

Remember BBSs?  I ran one.  I have many fond memories of various games played.    My friends and I were locally "famous" for playing Barren Realms Elite as "The Four Horsemen", I was Pestilence.  Many good times were had.

Use to run one myself, they were fun.

But on the topic of the thread.  If (can't remember the name of the thread bearer) likes being in Mensa, great, enjoy it, don't let someone else make you quit something you are enjoying.  I myself have enjoyed these boards and a couple others as they are like the Special Olympics of Mensa, smart people and each one alittle special.

[Nemesis]

But on the topic of the thread.  If (can't remember the name of the thread bearer) likes being in Mensa, great, enjoy it, don't let someone else make you quit something you are enjoying.  I myself have enjoyed these boards and a couple others as they are like the Special Olympics of Mensa, smart people and each one alittle special.

Ok back to topic.

I took the online test and was urged to join but I'm not a joiner. 

As to your exact situation Lono it sounds like you don't like the group much and just want aid in getting a job.  You might wish to join other groups with members in jobs more like what you are aiming at.  Just be sure to treat the organization and people with respect and behave in a fashion to earn theirs.  You might even consider joining a volunteer group as they often have connections that can help their members.

Have you looked up old co-workers and or bosses?  Some of them might be in a position to direct you to a job opening or even hire  you directly. 

[Lono]

If you want to network, you need to join the Bohemian club.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AAxKgYWrIQ

Kinghtstorm,

Right - well exactly!  But really I would like to oversee the creation of an anthesis to this very organization.

Plus - I am pretty sure - just like Skull and Bones - it's an invitation only society.

(although being a legacy does help I hear)

 

[Lono]

Thanks for the advice on the Job Hunting from everyone - I am fortunate at the moment to still have a job - but after four rounds of layoffs this year alone - I am getting more than a little concerned.

(and the fact that I am in the red about 10,000 a year - a career move may just be the cure I need)

I had to skip the first Mensa meeting - due to a good friends B-Day gathering - but I do look forward to meeting with them next month and reporting back here how it went - perhaps things have changed a little - as the old guard passes the reigns to the new.

I have been taking advantage of my new access to their national forum boards - and it has struck me that their is nearly as much willful ignorance to go around as one would find anywhere else on the interent. And certainly a bit more one upping than in some other forums.

I do enjoy - that just like here - I do not have to dumb down my posts just to get a little well reasoned feedback - something that I rarely find in other corners of cyberspace.

(not a whole lot of swearing or other sh*t talking as well - which like here is appreciated also)

So far I'm diggin it - but ultimately I would like to reform them - and perhaps turn them into my stepping stone towards becoming Emperor of this solar system.

We'll see how it goes...

"You must begin by gaining power over yourself; then another; then a group, an order, a world, a species, a group of species… finally, the galaxy itself."

―Darth Plagueis (the wise)

[Grand Master of Shadows NCC37385]

To give you an idea of how long ago it was , that I joined with them for a bit, OMNI magazine had this little card inside that you filled out and sent in.

I don't think OMNI has been around now for 20 years plus.

Stephen

I remember those. They usually had a question. Once my math teacher brought in a question from one of those little cards. Now this guy was supposed to be a math whiz. He bragged that it had taken him only a minute to solve the problem. He then challenged us to solve it and asked for volunteers. He gave us five minutes. He wrote the problem out and called us up to the board. Two minutes later he told us to sit down. I was working on my fifth solution to the problem. He checked my work and then asked me how I had solved it. I told him it was a trick question that had many solutions and was designed for grammar school kids. 

This is the question: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10=1. Add or subtract the numbers to make the solution true.

I told him that the trick was that the numbers added up to 55. To achieve the answer of "1" all you needed to do was to add enough numbers so that one group equalled -27 and the remaining numbers equalled +28.

My math teacher was a member of Mensa...and as dumb as a post.