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Honestly, I just joined because I'd be curious to see if I'd qualify. I'd been in gifted classes in school growing up, and so I decided to take the test after college.
There's really a fairly wide spectrum of members (or at least there was in the DFW area 10 years ago.) All walks of life, and I will say that if you're looking for like minded individuals to converse with, you're bound to find a few in your local chapter. But ultimately, I decided not to continue to pay my dues, as my own social circle was fulfilling enough for me, and most of my friends are pretty smart people.
In this day and age though, it seems that intelligence is viewed in a negative light. While I was proud to be able to qualify when I got in, now it's more of a lament that so many people can't, and these people are the majority.
Honestly, I just joined because I'd be curious to see if I'd qualify. I'd been in gifted classes in school growing up, and so I decided to take the test after college.
There's really a fairly wide spectrum of members (or at least there was in the DFW area 10 years ago.) All walks of life, and I will say that if you're looking for like minded individuals to converse with, you're bound to find a few in your local chapter. But ultimately, I decided not to continue to pay my dues, as my own social circle was fulfilling enough for me, and most of my friends are pretty smart people.
In this day and age though, it seems that intelligence is viewed in a negative light. While I was proud to be able to qualify when I got in, now it's more of a lament that so many people can't, and these people are the majority.
Yeah, and frequently people don't do well on tests for really unfair reasons: they didn't have a house full of books and music, parents who supported educational achievement, and good schools and private instruction. Their nutrition may have been poor, and the home was so chaotic it was impossible to focus on anything but survival. Physical abuse, emotional issues, worse. Some people are able to do well despite all, but it's much, much harder, I would think. And none of this is their fault.
As a consequence, there may be anger and resentment towards those who had more opportunities.
Mensa? Useless to society. Very tentative people, self-important, and generally quite dull.
Just as useless any most any other clubs around here. You missed my point that it is a social club. Just like we have clubs here for Irish and Italian people, Hungarian Folk dancers, etc., Mensa is just another club where you can socialize with people that have similar interests or talents as you. Mostly people who cannot join.
Something I read recently is apropos here. Those who speak ill of a $200,0000 car have never driven a $200,000 car. This seems to be true in all areas of life.
Honestly, I just joined because I'd be curious to see if I'd qualify. I'd been in gifted classes in school growing up, and so I decided to take the test after college.
There's really a fairly wide spectrum of members (or at least there was in the DFW area 10 years ago.) All walks of life, and I will say that if you're looking for like minded individuals to converse with, you're bound to find a few in your local chapter. But ultimately, I decided not to continue to pay my dues, as my own social circle was fulfilling enough for me, and most of my friends are pretty smart people.
In this day and age though, it seems that intelligence is viewed in a negative light. While I was proud to be able to qualify when I got in, now it's more of a lament that so many people can't, and these people are the majority.
I agree and am no longer ashamed of being intelligent. People love to show off their fashion sense or body by the clothes they wear. Men will wear Rolex watches to business meetings and custom made suits. No one says a thing but if you admit to being intelligent, that is bragging and unacceptable. Personally I think it is the same things people do when they cannot afford something so they put it down or say it is unnecessary or useless. This behavior has been studied a lot and it is a mechanism that we all have so as not to feel bad about our inability to do what others can do or afford. I get that way too.
I definitely qualify, and was never interested in joining. There are too many other ways in which I have socialized/worked with other intelligent (and not so intelligent) people over the years - professionally, religious/ethnic group, outdoor activities, dancing, sports, and just meeting people through our children's schools. Never had any interest in joining MENSA. I just now looked at what it takes to qualify, and found out that via old SAT scores, I actually qualify for the "Triple Nine Society". As church lady said, "Isn't that special?" But it seems to me that the only people who would join these IQ societies would be people who have not had success or fulfillment in real life - and so have to fall back upon this in order to feel "special".
I definitely qualify, and was never interested in joining. There are too many other ways in which I have socialized/worked with other intelligent (and not so intelligent) people over the years - professionally, religious/ethnic group, outdoor activities, dancing, sports, and just meeting people through our children's schools. Never had any interest in joining MENSA. I just now looked at what it takes to qualify, and found out that via old SAT scores, I actually qualify for the "Triple Nine Society". As church lady said, "Isn't that special?" But it seems to me that the only people who would join these IQ societies would be people who have not had success or fulfillment in real life - and so have to fall back upon this in order to feel "special".
I have to say "Wow", again....the lectures and programs that I went to in Houston were really good..it is the home of NASA and Rice University, MD Anderson. Interesting programs.
Posters on this thread must know some seriously egotistical people?
I have actually never mentioned the Mensa thing to anyone, why would I? Geeky older women are not particularly "popular in the southern regions" of the country.
My DH knows, one friend knows because her hubby attends a program here and there ( Ex-NASA guy.) I never told the sister, although she really enjoys coming down to Houston from the great cold north and going to see NASA programs.
I have seen people change visibly their attitude towards me when they find out where I went to University and what I do for a living. STEM/Medical Research. I do not mention it if they do not:
1.) Find out on their own thru local media and such
2.) Make a real strong demand when asking me.
Why would any of this matter in a book club, a bridge group or at the gym? It is on a need to know basis
Heck, I want to connect with expats who have tons of travel knowledge and those who are excellent cooks! ( so I can learn from them!)
I'm just curious, since SAT scores are one way to qualify for membership; who remembers their SAT scores? I forgot all about mine, as soon as I got into college, and got busy with classes and coursework. Is there a way to look them up somewhere, and document whatever the score was?
I've not been to a MENSA meeting but I know the type and I'd be outta there too. Actually, the most intellectually interesting crowd I've met was at a CHADD meeting (Children and Adults with ADD), which was in direct contrast to what most people think it would be. It turns out that folks with ADD, or at least the ones who would attend a support meeting, are highly intellectually curious, more so than most groups I've associated myself with. I think the reason is because if we're listening to an interesting lecture, we appear to lose focus b/c our minds are traveling down "rabbit holes" and making interesting associations with other random bits of knowledge that we have in our backgrounds. I think we also continue on a lifelong learning pursuit b/c we seem to be better at learning things on our own than learning them at school and we are well aware that we don't know it all.
HAH. You should see me sitting down with my female cousins for lunch. It is basically a verbal whirlwind - a whole bunch of balloons being batted around in the air on different topics. I remember one had a boyfriend who experienced it for the first time one day while we were gathered in the backyard. He turned to my other cousin's then-husband and asked with a terrified look "Is it ALWAYS like this?" and my cousin's husband sighed and said "all the time."
It's basically all rabbit holes with us. And while all of us aren't necessarily professionally successful, we are all pretty darn smart. Those guys who were so freaked out by the twists of our brains? Long gone and replaced by men made of sturdier stuff.
I was a MENSA member for a few years in my early 30s. I thought the local meetings were fun, and the regional gatherings very interesting. A Winter Solstice weekend in the Poconos I specifically remember was a blast.
I met my husband through one of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and I actually thought most of the members were just nice, normal people. This was in the Lancaster, PA/Harrisburg area.
Like anything, I suppose, YMMV.
I stopped renewing my membership after I got married. I think the dues were around $70 at that time, and that was too steep for me. Otherwise, I would probably have stayed active.
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