Should I Join Mensa for the Benefits or is it Just Elitist BS?

[Laser Eyes]

I'm thinking about joining Mensa and I was wondering what experiences others have had with them. I really don't know if it's something I want to do or not. What are the benefits of joining?

 

[BoulderHead]

Originally posted by Laser Eyes
What are the benefits of joining?

A feeling of being elite?

 

[Laser Eyes]

A feeling of being elite?

That's the last thing I want. I already have to fight against that.

 

[plus]

The initial test for mensa was so easy that I decided that it would probably not be elite enough, so I decided not to join.

Either that, or they just wanted me to pay them more money to take the second test, which may have been harder.

 

[N_Quire]

Do the Megatest instead. Mensa only means you're in the top 1,2,3,4 out of a hundred at their tests. Do the tests to see if you're 1 in a 1000, 1 in 10,000, 100,000 or 1,000,000 if you really want to feel superior.

 

[The Grimmus]

I believe you have to pay for a mebership so in a sense you pay for peopel to acknowledge your itelligance when you could do it on your own...here...unless you don't have to pay and i just look stupiad...agian.

 

[N_Quire]

Try this for size if you think Mensa is for wimps: http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/mega.html

 

[plus]

Originally posted by N_Quire
Try this for size if you think Mensa is for wimps: http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/mega.html

Can you actually find an online version of the Mega test?

The questions are not actually at your link.

 

[Kerrie]

why do you feel the need to join? surely you must have some doubts if you are asking others about their experiences?

 

[quantumdude]

If they don't have socials with free beer, then it's probably not worth the aggravation.

If they do, then sign me up!

 

[damgo]

Ain't no party like a MEN-SA party
'Cause a MEN-SA party don't start

What is the point of MENSA anyways? What do they do?

 

[spacemanspiff]

silly mensa

I don't know why you would want to join asides from wanting to feel superior and have some poeple pat you on the back for being "smart".

maybe if that bar-b-que thing is true i'll join..

 

[Adam]

Mensa does nothing. Not in Australia, anyway. They offer no scholarships, no loans, no material benefits of any kind. All they offer is a club, chatting to other members, that's about it.

 

[Laser Eyes]

why do you feel the need to join? surely you must have some doubts if you are asking others about their experiences?

Yes I do have some doubts, that's why I was asking. As to why I would think about joining, this is going to sound bad however I put it, but it's nice to talk to people at your own level for a change.

 

[selfAdjoint]

The basic reason to join mensa is to meet other bright people, including those of the opposite sex. Assortative mating, the evolutionists call it. As such it's good for society. we need more smart babies.

 

[FZ+]

[paranoia]Hmm... maybe it's all a vast breeding experiment to find the "genius gene", so that scientists can be bred and farmed like cattle for ideas?[/paranoia]

 

[DR OF DEATH]

i find it sad that no one has mentioned the need to have an IQ of 130 or over to join Menza. and why shouldn't you join if your smart enough to join why not be a part of a social circle that acknowledges inteligence.

 

[LogicalAtheist]

MENSA is a network of individuals with a 98% intelligence score or above. It's main purpose is to simple unite its members through various conventions and other events.

That's it. It's a simple organization. Simple purpose.

 

[Galatea]

I briefly considered joining Mensa at one time for the same reason as Laser Eyes - I didn't really know anyone with whom I shared similar interests and was desperate for conversation. It wasn't necessarily for reasons pertaining to superiority although I'm sure there are card carrying Mensa members who tell everyone they know. However, I'm of the opinion that the only people who think Mensa members are cool are either:

a) Other Mensa members or
b) Family members of Mensa members (especially parents..)

The general population seems to have great disdain for the kind of elitist attitude that emanates from Mensa members whether they know them or not.

In the end I didn't bother trying to join because there is a membership fee and I eventually found other avenues to fill my need for intelligent discourse. I ended up joining a chess club, a linux users group, and PF around that time. Now I have a boyfriend who meets all of my conversational and intellectual needs, so I don't frequent any of the above too often anymore, but I believe anything related to specific interests will find people all of the mental stimulation they need.

 

[Viper]

My dads a member of Mensa, he's got the certifcate to prove it, ill try to scan it up for you

 

[LogicalAtheist]

"The general population seems to have great disdain for the kind of elitist attitude that emanates from Mensa members whether they know them or not."

We commonly call this jealousy. People will up and down refute any claim that makes someone else "better" in any way, than them. It's just jealousy. Don't you want the general population to hate you because your intelligent, rich, famous, or attractive?

 

[username]

Personally I think its very sad that people need to feel superior to one another, but then again sounds great on your CV.

Do IQ tests just measure how well you have been educated ?

 

[Galatea]

Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
"The general population seems to have great disdain for the kind of elitist attitude that emanates from Mensa members whether they know them or not."

We commonly call this jealousy. People will up and down refute any claim that makes someone else "better" in any way, than them. It's just jealousy. Don't you want the general population to hate you because your intelligent, rich, famous, or attractive?

I disagree - I don't think it's jealousy, but a justified reaction to people thinking they are, in fact, better than other people.

There are many intelligent people who are undoubtedly qualified to join Mensa that feel the same as people who are not. While I don't mind intelligent people wanting to gather with the goal to share ideas, I do take issue with with them gathering and excluding others because they aren't "good enough." That is indeed elitism and is not beneficial to society at all. No accomplishment is required to join, only "good" genetics and a piece of paper that shows you took a test and are qualified to join. Oh, and $50, credit card, cash, check or money order, no C.O.D.'s!

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful,
Galatea

 

[LURCH]

I saw a brief interview on the telly with a woman who was in MENSA. She was asked if there was any cramps or bloating involved in that, to which she replied, "nope, just retention". Only time I ever even considered answering their queries.

Later, I met some members in person, and they were every steriotype you could ever dispise. They joined MENSA so they could go around saying "I joined MENSA". Decided I would rather keep company with good-hearted people, regardless of IQ. Of course, then I met some folks at college, and later found PF, and it was no longer an either/or situation.

I guess in that one tellevised moment my interest in them "platued".

 

[DR OF DEATH]

no IQ tests test your problem solving, logic, memory, and perceptive skills. these are things you cannot be taught you are either good at them or your not

 

[Pauly Man]

Why join MENSA when you can become actively involved in PF for free. We have people of all ages and levels here, and also topics on most avenues of current research. MENSA seems to be for people who want to boast about their intelligence, while here at PF you can actually use your intelligence to help others, and/or embark on life long learning. To me that is much more important.

 

[LogicalAtheist]

MENSA is meant to bring together the 2% of the population who is intelligent. That's its purpose. You have meetings, enjoy certain outings to "intelligent" places etc...

 

[damgo]

Everyone already understands that, LA.

 

[Galatea]

Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
MENSA is meant to bring together the 2% of the population who is intelligent. That's its purpose. You have meetings, enjoy certain outings to "intelligent" places etc...

Erm, I have trouble believing only the top 2% of people are intelligent. Poor wording on your part, perhaps, but I get the feeling that you actually meant it. Going by that "logic", the top 2% are nothing compared to the top 1% and, really, quite stupid since they could never pass the Mega Test.

Why don't we have an emoticon for eye rolling?

 

[username]

Originally posted by drdeath
no IQ tests test your problem solving, logic, memory, and perceptive skills. these are things you cannot be taught you are either good at them or your not

I thought that people in the first world greatly out performed people in the third world which would suggest something that can be taught (like a decent education).

 

[LogicalAtheist]

Originally posted by username
I thought that people in the first world greatly out performed people in the third world which would suggest something that can be taught (like a decent education).

Galatea - I said MENSA is for the top two percent of the population. That is the requirement to get in, simple as that. You indeed misunderstood what I said.

DrDeath - problem solving, logic, memory, and perceptive skills can all be taught. To say otherwise is an outrageous claim which requires outrageous evidence. Of which you have non.

 

[J-Man]

M.E.N.S.A.
----------
Monstrous Egos Necessitate Superficial Authority
Members Essentially Not Stupid, Academically
Mental Elitists Need Segregated Association
Members Exhibit Nauseatingly Superior Attitude

sorry, couldn't help myself...
I'll be moving along.

 

[LogicalAtheist]

Apparently you were:

1. kicked out of mensa
2. not allowed in
3. Can't get in even if you tried

Which is it?!?

Originally posted by J-Man
M.E.N.S.A.
----------
Monstrous Egos Necessitate Superficial Authority
Members Essentially Not Stupid, Academically
Mental Elitists Need Segregated Association
Members Exhibit Nauseatingly Superior Attitude

sorry, couldn't help myself...
I'll be moving along.

 

[plus]

Originally posted by Galatea
Erm, I have trouble believing only the top 2% of people are intelligent. Poor wording on your part, perhaps, but I get the feeling that you actually meant it. Going by that "logic", the top 2% are nothing compared to the top 1% and, really, quite stupid since they could never pass the Mega Test.

Why don't we have an emoticon for eye rolling?

A proportion of the top 2% could pass the Mega test.

However, how does one 'pass the Mega test'? I thought it was just a test, with no set mark to pass or fail?

 

[LogicalAtheist]

What mega test?

Show me it.

Like I said before, only the top 2% of people can get into mensa. That's their requirement.

Saying a certain percentage is intelligent is purposeless. Intelligence is opinion.

I would say it's best to say one is more or less intelligent in comparison to someone else.

 

[DR OF DEATH]

to a certain degree i would agree tht perception, logic skills, problem solving etc can be Learnt. but if you have very low logic skills for instance you not going to become some genius at logic, you can only improve on these basic skill sets by a small amount.

 

[BoulderHead]

Originally posted by J-Man
M.E.N.S.A.
----------
Monstrous Egos Necessitate Superficial Authority
Members Essentially Not Stupid, Academically
Mental Elitists Need Segregated Association
Members Exhibit Nauseatingly Superior Attitude

 

[Laser Eyes]

ROFLMAO. You cracked me up BH.

 

[J-Man]

Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
Apparently you were:

1. kicked out of mensa
2. not allowed in
3. Can't get in even if you tried

Which is it?!?

4) None of the above 3.
5) Never asked to get in.
6) Never wanted to get in.
7) Answers 4 through 6.

The correct answer is (7).
I just thought those were funny. I have nothing personal against MENSA; I don't really think about them.
And one of the first things a MENSA member will tell you is that MENSA is not an acronym. (That's what they want us to believe. )

(edit: ficksed sum spelin)

 

[KillaMarcilla]

I oughtta take an IQ test and see how I stack up nowadays.. the only data I have is that way back in elementary school I was roughly tied with two other kids for being the smartest person out of 600, so I'd be in like the top 1/200, I guess, unless my verbal knowledge hasn't grown proportionally

Damn, though, the test questions I see there are sticky

It's like the test is designed to be hard no matter how smart you are.. I think I prefer being a big fish in a small pond

I agree with the J-Man, I think. These organizations do seem like they're just some elitist BS, really

You don't need to talk to geniuses if you're a genius; anyone, no matter how stupid, can come up with interesting things you never will

I guess going there to meet women might make sense, but other than that, MENSA seems just as bad as the elitist 14 year olds on Battle.net who'll mess you up at War3 and then call you a "n00b", then spew half-witted Nazi garbage to each other on the forums about how the "n00bs" are ruining everything and suggesting ways to get rid of them

Hmm.. I wonder if there're any regular IQ tests I could take cheaply.. I'll bet that even if I'm not still in the top .5%, I'll at least be in the top 95% of people