4 ms·

As an existing member of Mensa, I can probably answer "yes". However, I generally do not like to mention the information because every time I break down and at

As an existing member of Mensa, I can probably answer "yes". However, I generally do not like to mention the information because every time I break down and attend a local Mensa meeting, it always strikes me as just a group of self-righteous bastards who revel in being able to say "I'm smarter than you". The perks of membership, including the sometimes interesting bulletins and magazines, ntm discounts at various retailers and travel vendors, are interesting and enough to keep me paying the fees.

donohoe 16y ago
Agreed. I'm in (at one point anyway) the original British & Irish Mensa. It seems that out of all the bright people who are in Mensa, only the pompous arrogant ones tend to turn up and organize meetings so they can hear themselves talk.
m0nty 16y ago
I let my membership lapse, I couldn't see any benefit to it at all. It was only helpful in that, because of my patchy education (and in the words of a friend with a similar problem): "by the time I left school, I didn't just think I was stupid. I knew it." So, it reassured me I had something going for me and gave me the confidence to tackle things I might not otherwise have tried. As has been pointed out innumerable times before, the test only measures a specific kind of intelligence and doesn't provide any indicator of how well you will do at life.
lelele 16y ago
> it always strikes me as just a group of self-righteous bastards who revel in being able to say "I'm smarter than you" I've always thought that really intelligent people solve real-world problems. Real-world problems are way harder than artificial ones because of their inherent accidental complexity, which you can't take away. If a man devises a problem, another man can solve it. If no man has devised it, however, are you intelligent enough to solve it? EDIT: Hence, I would prefer/like to be "street smart" over "mensa smart" every time.

donohoe 16y ago

Agreed. I'm in (at one point anyway) the original British & Irish Mensa. It seems that out of all the bright people who are in Mensa, only the pompous arrogant ones tend to turn up and organize meetings so they can hear themselves talk.

m0nty 16y ago

I let my membership lapse, I couldn't see any benefit to it at all. It was only helpful in that, because of my patchy education (and in the words of a friend with a similar problem): "by the time I left school, I didn't just think I was stupid. I knew it." So, it reassured me I had something going for me and gave me the confidence to tackle things I might not otherwise have tried. As has been pointed out innumerable times before, the test only measures a specific kind of intelligence and doesn't provide any indicator of how well you will do at life.

lelele 16y ago

> it always strikes me as just a group of self-righteous bastards who revel in being able to say "I'm smarter than you" I've always thought that really intelligent people solve real-world problems. Real-world problems are way harder than artificial ones because of their inherent accidental complexity, which you can't take away. If a man devises a problem, another man can solve it. If no man has devised it, however, are you intelligent enough to solve it? EDIT: Hence, I would prefer/like to be "street smart" over "mensa smart" every time.