Mensa

[RGINN]

Mensa is fine. I could qualify, but it wouldn't impress anyone I'm associated with, and I don't see what personal satisfaction I would get from being a member. With the membership and 50 cents I could get a cup of coffee. I did not know they recruited, though. May be a new thing to boost membership. It's just a group, a club. Everywhere you see the word 'Mensa' insert 'Rotary'. Or 'Chamber of Commerce'. Don't call 'smart' people 'dumber than rocks'. What you should have said is they have no 'common sense'. I have a very high IQ according to tests designed by somebody I don't know and never knew me, but I still have sense enough to come in out of the rain. But sometimes I like to stand out in the rain for a while, too. The American school system I went through was geared towards the B and C student. That's where you should be to be popular, well-liked, and sure to get a job at the grain elevator immediately upon being graduated. In the 60's and 70's, and even somewhat beyond, public schools really had no clue how to handle the extremely high end and low end students. Maybe that has changed. I always thought there should be a 'Densa', as like Mensa they are a separate class.

 

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[dallgire]

wish i could brag about how smart i am! But explaining to a group of random people around the world how smart i am never really intrigued me i guess!

 

[gord]

I see that one went over your head Hombre lol.

Sorry, but I don't consider America to be "founded" by the limeys.

You mean your history books don't include the fact that your first 'immigrants' were 'transported' for being thieves, murderers, misfits or malcontents?

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

I see that one went over your head Hombre lol.

Sorry, but I don't consider America to be "founded" by the limeys.

You mean your history books don't include the fact that your first 'immigrants' were 'transported' for being thieves, murderers, misfits or malcontents?

What is this post all aboot? You be nice, eh?

Just pointing out to our dentally challenged friends across the pond that there were others who came before them like Spaniards and Vikings, that's all.

 

[Dano Sverige]

I see that one went over your head Hombre lol.

Sorry, but I don't consider America to be "founded" by the limeys.

You mean your history books don't include the fact that your first 'immigrants' were 'transported' for being thieves, murderers, misfits or malcontents?

I thought most of them still were?

Edit:
Yes Hombre..but they "found" America. The "United States" wasn't "founded by them, it was "founded" because of the English.

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Truth is...i left school without a qualification to my name. Ah huh, i was the typical "bad boy" type. The lazy loser at the back of the class etc etc.
I'm not dumb, i just never got to take the finishing exams and all that palaver. No idea of my IQ rating. Remember my mother taking me for an IQ test when i was 14 yrs old. Don't recall any numbers mentioned, but i remember the guy saying i had an IQ of someone 7 years older than me, which i took to be pretty good?
I do have to take my socks off to count to 20 though! God i hate maths.

You might not be so bad after all.....

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

I see that one went over your head Hombre lol.

Sorry, but I don't consider America to be "founded" by the limeys.

You mean your history books don't include the fact that your first 'immigrants' were 'transported' for being thieves, murderers, misfits or malcontents?

I thought most of them still were?

Never mind.....

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Edit:
Yes Hombre..but they "found" America. The "United States" wasn't "founded by them, it was "founded" because of the English.

It is my personal belief that America was "founded" by Americans - the brave, enlightened, and patriotic few who cast aside the ridiculous notion of "royalty" (LMAO) and forced their oppressors to slither back to the wretched island from which they came.

A pity our niegbhors to the north could never muster the same fortitude.

 

[dallgire]

Edit:
Yes Hombre..but they "found" America. The "United States" wasn't "founded by them, it was "founded" because of the English.

It is my personal belief that America was "founded" by Americans - the brave, enlightened, and patriotic few who cast aside the ridiculous notion of "royalty" (LMAO) and forced their oppressors to slither back to the wretched island from which they came.

A pity our niegbhors to the north could never muster the same fortitude.

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Beating back the boorish culture of the anglophile is something I have spent most of my life doing dalligre. My shame is manifest that I must admit my late grandfather was one of them. Born in the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, the old fart spent many an hour boring the entire family to death about what a "great" and "wonderful" place England was. When he wasn't dining on disgusting food such as jellied eels, blood pudding, tapioca, and raisin tarts, he was constantly espousing the virtues and superiority of Anglo-Saxon culture.

 

[dallgire]

Beating back the boorish culture of the anglophile is something I have spent most of my life doing dalligre. My shame is manifest that I must admit my late grandfather was one of them. Born in the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, the old fart spent many an hour boring the entire family to death about what a "great" and "wonderful" place England was. When he wasn't dining on disgusting food such as jellied eels, blood pudding, tapioca, and raisin tarts, he was constantly espousing the virtues and superiority of Anglo-Saxon culture.

thats disgusting!

 

[Dano Sverige]

Edit:
Yes Hombre..but they "found" America. The "United States" wasn't "founded by them, it was "founded" because of the English.

It is my personal belief that America was "founded" by Americans - the brave, enlightened, and patriotic few who cast aside the ridiculous notion of "royalty" (LMAO) and forced their oppressors to slither back to the wretched island from which they came.

A pity our niegbhors to the north could never muster the same fortitude.

You should write comedy shows mate. You'd be....a great flop!

Beating back the boorish culture of the anglophile is something I have spent most of my life doing dalligre. My shame is manifest that I must admit my late grandfather was one of them. Born in the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, the old fart spent many an hour boring the entire family to death about what a "great" and "wonderful" place England was. When he wasn't dining on disgusting food such as jellied eels, blood pudding, tapioca, and raisin tarts, he was constantly espousing the virtues and superiority of Anglo-Saxon culture.

Jesus! He ate well! And you call ME a "snotty Brit'"?? While all the time your family is nearly Royalty!!!

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Jesus! He ate well!

If you say so. I wouldn't go near that garbage. Disgusting.....

And you call ME a "snotty Brit'"?? While all the time your family is nearly Royalty!!!

As I stated, it is a shameful part of my lineage. Almost makes me wish I was French (but not quite).

 

[packerbacker]

I wonder what the mentally gifted think about.
I have no idea what my IQ is either. Would probably be disappointing if I knew it.
I know, in one of my college classes (Jr College...not a major university) we took a IQ test but the questions were geared towards people from the inner city, not your run-of-the-mill whitey. An example of the questions involved knowing what a "stoop" was. I lived in New York City for a while so I knew a stoop was the cement steps in front of apartment building entrances. The entire test was similar. I guess the lesson we were to learn is that tests can be manipulated or the designers of them just don't take into consideration what intelligence really is. I've seen TWO engineers where I work pull up to the gas pumps to get gas. They got out of the car and realized the fill cap was on the opposite side of the car. They each got back in their vehicle, drove around to other side of the pump island, got out and just couldn't believe it; the fill cap was still on the opposite side of the car. One of them told me once that a genius normally only has one original thought in their lifetime and that he has them all the time. (Like the time his blueprint called for allthread and nuts instead of using bolts that size )

 

[AU24K]

I'm not sure how intelligence is measured and would there be only one test? Administered by whom?
I am a voracious reader of mostly nonfiction, specifically reference material, and have a propensity to remember about 99% of things I've read.
I can remember many things from my early school days and all through my life.

I suspect however that this is not all that is required to be considered intelligent.
Perhaps the cognative ability to process that information and be able to apply it along with a degree of insight towards "problem solving" scenarios carries a fair amount of weight.

I am not a "genius" on ANYBODY'S list; perhaps it was merely an attempt
to extract money under the guise of "Membership."

By the same token, I'm not an id-iot, even though I've done some pretty stu-pid things in my life...

Best,
Scott

 

[packerbacker]

I saw a test on tv one time where they came to the conclusion that the difference between humans and animals was that the humans have the power of deduction. They had a baby in a highchair and they would show him a balloon. They would then put a piece of cardboard between the baby and balloon and they would remove the balloon and then the cardboard. The baby would look around for the now missing balloon. Then they used 2 balloons except, when they put up the cardboard, they only removed 1 balloon. The kid would then look for the missing balloon and thereby exhibit the power of deduction. Wonder what they spent on that. I had a golden retriever that I could show 2 tennis balls in the front yard and then throw them over the house into the back yard. The dog would run around the house and search the yard until she found BOTH balls. Hence, the dog had the power of deduction.

 

[AU24K]

Several years ago when I was a Department Head at a long term care facility (Nursing Home) with an Alzheimer's Unit, I felt bad for those afflicted with the disease, even though they all had a smile on their face all day long.
I finally realized that they were smiling because they had no worries, no cares...

Sometimes I wonder if the more intelligence one has, the more worries and stress that is carried?

Best,
Scott

 

[Bum Luck]

Does anyone have information of a first hand knowledge of this outfit?
They wanted me to join, but I've turned them down. Twice.

I understand that they are a "brainiac" group, but I don't like the "aura" that they present.
Should I have joined? What are the benefits? The downside?
I just don't know enough about them to join...

I appreciate your honest opinions.

Best,
Scott

First I'll start out with an apology for sticking to the post, and a first hand account in a sincere desire to answer your question, which I take to be sincere.

Any "aura" is your own perception, or maybe misperception.

In my 30+ years of first hand experience, it depends a lot on the local group that typically meets monthly. If you like them as personalities, it should be a positive experience. If not, you'll not benefit as much from what I see as the major part of the organization, although my particular bent though is that I like people. Ask to attend a meeting for a month.

For example, in Wisconsin, Milwaukee has a large and very diverse group, but Madison's is numerically smaller and so harder to find like activities.

We did have a member full of himself, but also some that were very nice. You can't stereotype Mensans; but they're probably more diverse than the general population.

Benefits: If you like the interplay of ideas, you'll probably like the general concept. Try to keep an open mind and remember that they're just people like you. You could also look at it as being a positive contributor to the organization.

They do also have magazines and member web sites that are interesting. One of my long-term projects was to get a gifted and talented program going in the local school; a miserable failure.

Downside: None, just the cost of membership, unless uninformed people make fun of you for being who you are. But who would do that?

Ivan lays it out like it is. As usual.

 

[AU24K]

Bum Luck,
Thank you for your well written reply.
Obviously all membership groups have both positive and negative aspects.
Mensa may be a fine group of individuals and I am sure that there are bad apples in every bunch.

Having said that, I believe that even though one might qualify for membership, not all want to join. I am one of those who choose not to join.

I meant no disparaging ill will towards the group per se; I was wanting outside information to satisfy my curiosity of membership.
I have investigated their website and also have received a couple of their magazines. Some aspects interest me, but on the whole, I don't have the time or desire to be a member.

Best,
Scott

 

[ivan salis]

while I do have the "high IQ" needed to be a member I am not a MENSA member * , most folks that I know do think of me as "smart" -- I do not think of myself as being "above"others of a lower IQ -- I have often learned many of my most important life lessons * from folks that might be though of asvery low IQ * (one of one is do not worry about things you can not change focus on that which you can effect) -- often with "knowledge" comes worry -- once you know that bad thing x,y or z exist and is going to happen --you then try to fix it so it doesn't (some high IQ folks simplely do not understand some things are not "fixible" - and thus drive themselves mad as they attept to fix the unfixible )-- sadly some otherwize "bright" folks become elite mental snobs --making asses out of themselves and cutting off contact with many folks that they might learn even more bits and pieces of knowledge from ( which is quite foolish of them to do that in my point of veiw )-- many perople have "specialized" bits and pieces of knowledge or quite interesting points of veiws on issues that only they might know or only a small group of people might think of -- only by interaction with others can one "access" this knowledge base -- generally speaking by being well read can one really develop ones full mental ability * --(reading is highly important in my point of veiw -- by reading good material (nonfiction solid material) one can learn life lessons that might have take a person a entire life time to learn in a matter of a few hours )--this rapid transfer of knowledge is vital to developing your mind * thus a well read person can in effect gain many life times worth of knowledge and thus "know" much ,much more than a similar person who does not read much -- while I do have some "natural smarts" - ( which I look at as a a gift from god , and am thankful for and feel I should use to help others with) -- I did read about 4 hours a night , basically every night for 27 years , during my sea going merchant seaman years -- thus the "book worm"