Just when you started to get excited about your two-year-old’s ability to spit out a few mumbles that kind of sound like words, Mensa–the high IQ society–has welcomed a two-year-old member who can recite the alphabet backwards and forwards, count to 1,000, name the planets, and I’m pretty sure never falls for the ‘I got your nose’ routine.
If you’re not familiar with Mensa, it’s an organization established by smart people as the fastest way to answer the question, “If you’re so smart, prove it!” I considered applying to Mensa when I thought the cut-off was the upper 1%, but then I learned they accept the upper 2% and I worry decreasing the line from the 99th to the 98th percentile would allow in too much riff-raff.
I can only think of two reasons why people would want to be in Mensa:
1. So you can constantly mention it to other people. “Sorry, I can’t come to your party but I have a Mensa meeting that day. What’s that? You weren’t going to invite me to your party? Well, still the same, I couldn’t come anyway. Because of my Mensa meeting. Mensa. The high IQ group I belong to. Mensa.”
Here’s the rub: If you’re smart enough to be in Mensa, you should be smart enough to realize how much everyone else hates people in Mensa.
2. To rub elbows with other smart people so you can pat each other on the back and share the burden of being smart. “It’s so tough being super intelligent. Sometimes I wonder what it’s like for people to go through life not understanding fractals. Maybe life would be easier if I could laugh at beer commercials and YouTube clips of people falling down.”
Here’s the problem with being in Mensa, when low IQ people find out you’re a member, they automatically want to find something wrong so they can take you down a peg. If you’re beautiful, people hope to find out you’re vain. If you’re rich, people hope you’re a snob. If you brag about being smart, people want you to push a door plainly labelled ‘pull’.
After first joining Mensa, members are probably surprised that instead of respect and admiration, they get asked the following questions:
If you’re so smart, why aren’t you more financially successful?
If you’re so smart, how come you can’t put together this IKEA furniture?
If you’re so smart, how come I’m your boss instead of the other way around?
What would you ask?
The Good Greatsby 
Tor Constantino, MBA (@torcon)
May 4, 2012
“If you’re so smart why don’t you wear a smoking jacket and have all your web site imagery shot with lighting similar to that on the Orient Express?”
becomingcliche
May 4, 2012
If you’re so smart, why didn’t you marry better? Wait. You’re married to me…
Brain-Dead Mom
May 5, 2012
My two favourite blogs are married? That just made my day.
becomingcliche
May 5, 2012
He’s not married to me. It’s the question I ask my own husband.
pegoleg
May 4, 2012
If you’re so smart, how come they didn’t ask you to join Mensa until you were FIVE?
Spectra
May 5, 2012
Heh heh heh…good one, Peg.
davidrothbauer
May 4, 2012
My boss once said, “All I have to be is smart enough to have people who are smarter than me working in my department.”
Seems to be working but he keeps calling me a prima donna…so maybe not.
I actually went to a Mensa meeting once and learned a few things:
i) A high IQ does not relate to fashion sense
ii) If you’re in a room with a bunch of smart people you are required to prove to everyone else present (including the serving staff) that you are smarter then they are
iii) Apparently only fat balding guys with thread-bare, ironic t-shirts are in the top 2% intelligence wise
Lynn
January 9, 2013
HAHAHAHA!!!!
Son-0-God
April 8, 2014
If you’re so smart why do you say “then” they are, when the correct wording is “than” they are? (lol, ok… I’m kidding around with you, don’t be so mensa about it” XD)
Soma Mukherjee
May 4, 2012
you are so right about the mensa and if i ever meet one of those wretched creatures i will ask if you are so smart guess which cereal i ate today
davidrothbauer
May 4, 2012
But how would you feel if they answered correctly?
qwinkly3
May 5, 2012
The dude is smart, not clairvoyant. Be careful with that one. He’s likely to launch into a 3 day diatribe for or against the chemicals in your cereal, complete with their chemicky names.
I once asked my son how soap worked. Three showers later, he was still prattling along.
joehoover
May 4, 2012
Interesting…..http://www.mensa.org/membership-benefits
I bet they still get blind drunk at their get-togethers and fumble around with each other just like the rest of us, we’re all the same when our clothes have all suddenly fallen off.
susielindau
May 4, 2012
Hey, I was an art major, so take that Mensa!
thoughtsappear
May 4, 2012
That poor 2-year-old…. Think of all the pressure he’s under now to count to 2,000. What if this is his peak? Will they kick him out later? I see that they didn’t mention if he’s potty trained or not.
Audrey
May 4, 2012
If you’re so smart, how come you thought adding “Mensa Member” to your achievements list would be a great way to boost that online dating profile?
Matt Aromando
May 4, 2012
If you’re so smart, why aren’t you president of everything?
artistsh
March 22, 2015
Being smart doesn’t mean you always make the right decisions where life is concerned – and even smart people cannot control the universe or what happens just in the course of living.
prttynpnk
May 4, 2012
I just want to be able to stand at the mailbox and complain to the neighbors about the amount of Mensa junk mail I get. That and the stupid spam from the nobel committee…
Roly
May 4, 2012
Hahaha LOL Poor little bugger will matriculate by the time he’s ten, varsity by fifteen, but most probably won’t know how to play ball
Madame Weebles
May 4, 2012
It irked me that they let a 2-year-old into Mensa, because now I can’t officially tell people that I’m smarter than a 2-year-old.
thediaryofaneffuaddict
May 4, 2012
I went to a gifted school. We had this Farside Comic on our classroom door.
averageinsuburbia
May 5, 2012
I work in a gifted school and we have this comic on one of our doors…hmmm….
nancyfrancis
May 4, 2012
How DO they get the Caramel into the Caramilk bar?
Life in the Boomer Lane
May 4, 2012
If you’re so smart, how come you are running for the Republican presidential nomination?
The Good Greatsby
May 5, 2012
It does seem like the desire to be president should be an automatic disqualifier. What type of person wants to be president?
HoaiPhai
May 5, 2012
Is that what Mensa means? I always thought it had something to do with “ladies’ days”.
The Good Greatsby
May 5, 2012
Ha! My wife said the same thing.
skippingstones
May 5, 2012
Lol!
She's a Maineiac
May 6, 2012
Nice! hahaha!!!
Elyse
May 5, 2012
What do you say as an ice-breaker when you go to a party? Oh, you don’t go to parties? I wonder why…
artjen1971
May 5, 2012
If you’re so smart, how come you couldn’t teach your kid to count to a million at 1 year-old?
gojulesgo
May 5, 2012
If you’re so smart, why are you wearing socks with sandals?
Carl D'Agostino
May 5, 2012
I think sly and crafty beats smart every time. If you are smart and sly and crafty you do not joins Mensa. Since you are not “in” they think you are stupid and you can trick them every time. Smart people never let anyone know they are smart. Besides, I don’t see any Mensarites with cartoon blogs so they can take their algebra and stuff it.
philosophermouseofthehedge
May 5, 2012
If you’re so smart, who said “I’d never belong to a club that would have me as a member” and explain (using specific examples) what that means to you and explain the irony of that quote..and yourself in relation to it.
(Did I use enough words? I fear they won’t bother to answer if you don’t use enough words.)
Rachael Black
May 5, 2012
Heh. I belong to Mensa. NEVER attend meeting because most of the people you meet at them are SOCIALLY retarded. I do belong just to use as a club over idiot’s head’s during conversation. Such charming phrases such as ‘You cretin. You do realize I’m a card carrying genius’ and other sure-to-make friends party chatter.
Actually keep the IQ to myself. God knows how may brain cells I fried in college..Could very well be a sub-moron at this point.
In the words of Groucho Marx: I’d like to join a club and beat you over the head with it’ as well as ‘I’d never belong to a club that would have me as a member.’
Oh, that two year old? Clearly an alien. Kill it with Fire.
Funny and fun post as always!
Howlin' Mad Heather
May 5, 2012
I am in Mensa, and the one question I’d always like to ask is “If you’re so bloody smart, why do you act like a complete prat to everyone?” Most so-called intellectuals are either dry as Wheat Thins in Phoenix or superior jerks. I try to be the token goofball at meetings.
Rachael Black
May 7, 2012
I’m with you in the goofball balcony section 😉
artistsh
March 22, 2015
I attended one meeting – less than ten people. I’ve never met a group more self-involved and self-congratulatory than these superficial snobs. I rarely say I’m a member and frankly, I joined because I got tired of being treated like a dumb blonde when I was younger and it’s been useful a couple of times. Kept the membership going but there are only rare occasions some meeting is interesting enough to even consider attending. And then I don’t attend.
Kathryn McCullough
May 5, 2012
God, this post brought back memories of someone I knew in graduate school who talked about Mensa this, and Mensa that. Hell, I hated her.
benzeknees
May 5, 2012
I’ve only ever known 2 people in Mensa & somehow both of them managed to get their Mensa membership into the first 2 sentences they uttered to me or anyone else. They were social morons, too!
bluebee
May 6, 2012
I once sat at a table of Mensa people (I’m not one) at a party and agree on your “social moron” assessment
Rachael Black
May 7, 2012
ha no kidding.
Snoring Dog Studio
May 5, 2012
If the child is that smart, he’ll keep that little fact to himself at least until he’s an adult. Toddlers can be quite uncharitable to little know-it-alls.
zmanowner
May 7, 2012
LOL…I would ask if your so smart how come you have not figured out a way to lower gas prices for everyone else. Mensa members have a silly pin saying they are in mensa. Its ok to be smart, not okay to wear a pin saying you are smarter then everyone else, then your just a pain in the ass, that cant figure a baseball score. ..zman sends
Dana
May 8, 2012
Book Smart is not equal to Street Smart. Ask me how I know.
Rachael Black
May 11, 2012
It doesn’t stop in elementary school. I was subjected to the same hell that your son is. Being different -especially if you are the smartest child in your class- brings it’s own consequences. Being an outcast, called names, crying, avoiding recess if you can. You have a huge target on your back.
Maybe this is why I joined Mensa in college. To show that just because I was intelligent didn’t mean I was a freak. During high school I even tried to play stupid -just to find one or two people to fit in with.
Luckily, and please tell your son, going to college stops this daily nightmare. Personally, I went away to college at age 15; having skipped a grade to to escape the abuse, laughter and nightmare of even being alive.
The ‘childhood’ friends I have now all date from college – it will be a cold day in Hades before I would ever attend a high school reunion, forget about grade school or junior high.
High Five to your son!!
CMSmith
May 11, 2012
Thanks, Rachael, for speaking from your own experience. Even at the old age of 55, I still can’t figure out why children are so hateful to the extremely smart kids. I know that some of the things that are said about the highly gifted, and some of the points in the above comments, are true. Sometimes they act different, don’t communicate on the same level, appear awkward in social situations. As it was explained to me by the grade school gifted teacher, my son had to wait through having something explained to the class 3 to 5 times when he got it in one, if he didn’t come into the room already knowing it. His school life was one of waiting for and even tolerating others who couldn’t pick things up as fast. Yet, socially, where he was at a deficit, the kids were never willing to wait or tolerate him. It still makes me angry if I let it.
Fortunately, what you say about college is right. My son is now 29 years old, and married with a son.
Your story is very descriptive of his early experience. Thanks again. And a high five to you, too.
qwinkly3
May 12, 2012
“How I know?”
CMSmith
May 10, 2012
Having experience the social isolation and bullying of a son and gifted (by no fault of his own) child by his peers throughout elementary school, I do take a certain offense. Bragging is bragging whether it is about your brains, athletic ability, income, or pant’s size. So you may have a point there. Gifted children/people may look like they have it all, but they often suffer from a huge deficit of things that matter immensely to a human being, and most particularly to a child—the ability to be accepted and fit in.
So I think, to answer you question, I might ask what he or she enjoys doing, and open the door to relate to him or her as a human being.
Sorry. This one’s close to my heart that’s not completely healed from a sobbing son who was always the last one picked on a team and ate alone at lunch.
Rachael Black
May 11, 2012
CM Smith: my reply was directed to you and your son 🙂
Joe Anon
June 17, 2014
“I still can’t figure out why children are so hateful to the extremely smart kids.”
Unfortunately, it is not just children. Look at some of the posts on this board.
artistsh
March 22, 2015
Thank you. I was wondering if I was the only one who noted the bullying from adults. My son has Aspergers and is brilliant. The social awkwardness is not due to the intelligence but from being on the spectrum – he was bullied terribly and even as a highly successful adult, has only felt relatively comfortable among others like him in Silicon Valley. People are cruel if someone isn’t just like them.
qwinkly3
May 12, 2012
Since this has no morphed into a topic about giftedness….. It serves us right as a society that we don’t have a cure for cancer yet. Gifted children are a Special Needs group that is NOT funded nearly as well, or even recognized in schools. But gifted kids drop out of school at a far higher rate than regular kids, and they also have a higher SUICIDE rate. Obviously, a Special Needs group. But the prevailing thought today is to spend a fortune on each and every drooling kid who can barely hold his head up, but not a single penny on the gifted. Screw them. They can just slow down, and be bored. But they’d better not act out in the classroom during that extreme boredom ! Not that ! Now, I’m not against enabling physically handicapped kids, nor about helping along mentally handicapped kids to reach their potential. But to not help our brightest, who by definition have the MOST potential is cruel and discriminative. They are EQUAL to, not better than, but surely equal to the other Special Needs kids, and the normal kids. In the bigger picture of society, it’s also really stupid to slow them down or let them kill themselves, or “just” to be so scarred from the bullying that they can’t function. Which population of tomorrow’s adults is most likely to discover the cure for cancer? Yes, I know that society falls apart without garbage collectors, and that the peasantry will riot without someone to flip over their Big Macs. But we also don’t do so well without great doctors and lawyers and professors and scientists and engineers. As it stands now, gifted children are the ONLY population of students we don’t give a damn about.
Carl D'Agostino
May 12, 2012
quinklt3 you are 100% on target. About 15% of the gifted I taught in 11th grade received an F. Nor because of test scores or quality of assignments. They just refused to do anything. Of course if they did participate the work always of superior quality. They were not grade conscious like the others and preformed only if the job had personal intrinsic value
qwinkly3
May 12, 2012
If you have a gifted kid, may I recommend teaching them to JUGGLE? I have a little Einstein, now 25. He was taught to juggle by a counselor for gifted kids. Rationale: 1. Gifted kids have never had to master frustration, since everything comes easily to them. (But juggling is mostly muscle training, and psyching it out is barely helpful at all.) 2. Gifted kids are never proud of anything, since everything comes easily to them. What a gyp ! If I gave you a math test wherein the hardest part was carrying the one, would you be amped that you aced it? No, you’d disrespect the entire process, and roll your eyes. Once the kid has had to WORK at something and masters juggling, they are thrilled and proud. Get them to progress past just the boring three ball, normal cascade pattern and onto FIRE torches and really cool objects, and even the boneheaded, bullying football jocks take notice and agree that’s cool. Then tell the kid they can make big money on the side with this juggling.
Juggling has taken one of my 2 sons to Hollywood, to juggle on TV, in the same competition as Taylor Lautner from Twilight. And also to winning international balloon art competitions. And my kids, just in their spare time, while still fitting in lacrosse, marching band, rugby and just hanging out, have (very lazily) made a few thousand dollars each.
I’m not selling anything at all, but if any of you would like to chat more about how to do this, or how to draft up a juggling show for your kids, or about balloon art, you can contact me at
qwinkly3 at yahoo.
artistsh
March 22, 2015
Everything comes easy to them? Huh. The gifted kids I’ve know have struggled to fit in socially and have dealt with bullying and cruel treatment even by adults who feel they need to take a kid down a peg. There is also the component of physical awkwardness that can be part of a gifted child’s struggle if they also happen to be on the Autism Spectrum.
qwinkly8
August 13, 2023
I suppose I shpukd have said, “Academics OFTEN come easily to them.”
wingedwordsmith
May 14, 2012
I did an intelligence test once – apparently I was smart enough to join MENSA. Personally, I think the test was just a lying piece of sh*t.
But hey – my wife married for my rugged good looks.
Oh, who am I kidding? 😦
befaster
June 19, 2012
From the MENSA website: “Why Should I Join Mensa?
There are many intelligent reasons to join Mensa. Whether you actively attend Mensa meetings or simply relish the intellectual stimulation that membership promotes, you’ll find the benefits of Mensa membership to be numerous indeed.”
I’d ask them this: If you’re so smart, why can’t you actually answer your own question? “WHY should I join Mensa?” I didn’t ask “What big words can you use to again tell me there are benefits without actually telling me what the benefits are?”
And who the heck genuinely uses ‘indeed’ at the end of the sentence?
…..I went to a gifted program within a non-gifted school, what does that make me???
kilolson
July 11, 2012
Oh yeah? Well if you’re so smart, then why don’t you … um… can I have some peanuts?
Steven
January 5, 2013
Careful people,it seems like envy is the dish of the day!
Marigold
January 7, 2013
I started reading this thread to see if it would be helpful to apply for Mensa membership for my daughter who is very young but would clearly qualify. Not for the purpose of boasting but of benefit. She is highly social but at the same time is always way ahead of everyone else in her class but is emotional and sensitive. I can totally see her playing down her brains n in the future just to fit in and being devastated by the meanness of others. Perhaps a psychologist would be more helpful than Mensa because what I have observed on many websites threads (not just this one- and this one is by far not the worse one I have seen) is a vast majority of people bashing those with high IQs. arrogance is arrogance and lots of people are arrogant about other things like looks, athletic ability, income etc. Not just an ability to learn quickly in certain areas. My daughter is not a genius but is different than most other kids that’s for sure. She doesnt say she is smarter than others (as she hasnt been raised to think like that) but she is no idiot and notices her vocabulary is much richer and she picks things up much faster. Thank God she is attractive because if she weren’t I would feel sorry for her given what I read in so many posts. Still not sure what to think of Mensa but maybe being with some possible like minded people would be helpful, even if they have no fashion sense.
The Good Greatsby
January 7, 2013
It’s true plenty of people are arrogant about athletic ability or looks. I think the difference would be if someone joined an exclusive society for the top 1 or 2% of good-looking people. It would be hard to stomach someone who’d had their good looks certified.
Marigold
January 7, 2013
agreed. I would be interested in knowing what benefit it has been for those who have membership in Mensa over the years. Anyone?
Kat
September 20, 2015
I realize this reply is really late, but I just wanted to put out my opinion. Your daughter kind of reminds me of myself, which I know sounds arrogant because of the way you have described her. As a high school student who was (and still is, but I’ve gotten better at controlling my emotions) incredibly emotional and sensitive, I struggled with crying daily in elementary school. I was/am a bright child, but also not completely normal; I’ve had multiple teachers tell me to go see a psychologist, but my mom thinks this is a waste of time. If your daughter asks for a psychologist, let her go to one, if she doesn’t, don’t take her to one. Let her be as normal as she can be, and don’t lead her to believe she is a freak (I understand this is not at all what you are trying to do, but telling a child they are going to a psychologist may make them think there is something wrong with them.) Don’t sign her up for Mensa. It is highly unlikely she will meet any well-adjusted person there, and it will not help her “fit in” to the real world, which is unfortunately where she must learn to talk to people. She will be able to make friends, as I have, and I’m not nearly as social as she seems to be, and she can find online communities of other people like her if she wants.
Marcel Sorger
January 17, 2013
I guess joining Mensa is like joining the Hells Angels. There are people you would like to know that you are in a certain club and there are people that you wouldn’t want to know, because for the first it’s an endorsement, for the second it’s elicits persecution. The social aspect is probably more important than any other consideration. A feeling of belonging and having similar interests, are common arguments to join any club, but there might be bigger advantages in having a specific frame of reference and increased motivation.
nepalired
January 30, 2013
I searched online about this issue and found these posts. They are very helpful. Thank you to everyone. I, too, am high IQ but never applied to MENSA for a lot of reasons. At first for fear of not getting in, which–in retrospect–was stupid. A) it was likely and B) who cares?? I had tremendous social problems as a kid that were not so much from being high IQ, but believe me, being that way did NOT help.
Now I have a daughter who falls in this category. She is a lot better socialized and well-rounded, and very happy.
When I see what parents go through in terms of the curation, supplementation and investment in preparing their kids’ “CV” for college, I am a bit terrorized! It wasn’t near so complicated when I applied to school.
So I asked the psychologist who originally assessed her if there is some benefit for her college app. Because, frankly, that is the only reason that I would do it at this point. He said that, in all his years of his work, he never heard MENSA discussed in terms of college apps. So we decided not to pursue it.
With high IQ kids, and girls especially, I agree with what the juggler parent said–they need to be able to endure adversity and failure, ano not to be afraid to try new things. Also, I tell my daughter all the time… there will always be someone smarter than you, and someone not as smart. What matters is grit, the ability to persevere and to be compassionate to others. We talk about her intelelctual ability as being something not to squander and to work as hard as she can so that she can always trust her own ability to get through life.
But the point of this pot is that it took a lot of reflection and time to get to this point. Being high IQ has its pluses and its minuses, like any other attribute, and there are not enough guideposts for kids like this to know how to navigate.
And the final point is that the college app process is farking crazy. Thanks again, everyone.
Judith Perlman
February 20, 2013
To Nepalired and other who wonder about the benefits of joining Mensa:
If all you are looking for is something to brag about, don’t join Mensa. It is significantly counterproductive. All you are doing is setting yourself up for a fall. If you must mention it, refer to it as “one of the social groups I enjoy.”
If you are looking to find a group of people with whom you can develop and practice social skills in a safe environment, this is likely it.
If you are looking for a group of people who enjoy getting together to play Trivial Pursuits and other games requiring more than the ability to throw dice, this is likely it.
If you enjoy getting together to talk with people who have greater familiarity with current news or politics than just the headlines, this is likely it.
Admittedly, I am not being particularly definitive, but every different Local Group is, well, different. And since you are likely to get about the same reward from Mensa as the effort you put into it, it really depends on what you want to get out of it.
When Mensa was established, it was with the intent of bringing highly intellegent people together with the common purpose of solving the world’s problems. Unfortunately, a group of Mensans tends to be an agglomeration of highly individual people and the chances of getting together a group, all of whom have accumulated knowledge in the area of the same particular issue, is unlikely at best. However, the founding members did find something that made it worth their while to keep assembling. Mensans have the best parties.
They have such good parties that larger Local Groups have annual local conventions, called Annual Gatherings, AGs for short, just to party and talk with each other. In addition, American Mensa has an annual convention as well.
The group of which I am a member has tons of Special Interest Groups. In addition to the regular monthly meeting, there are SIGs for discussion of current events, for sewing, knitting or quilting, for meeting downtown for lunch, for playing games, for carrying out research, for coming up with classes for home-schooling, for raising tropical fish, for studying the bible, for disassembling the bible, for sharing stockmarket investment tips, for discussing the latest Oprah book. If you are interested in a particular subject and your local group doesn’t have a SIG related to what you enjoy doing, it is up to you to start it.
I hope I gave you someting to think about.
Scorpio7
June 28, 2013
If you’re so smart, why did you write this article?
Jeff
June 28, 2013
If you’re so smart, why aren’t you in Intertel?
Seriously, I am tasting a some sour grapes here, mostly from people who’d probably both qualify for and enjoy Mensa if they tried.
For those who don’t know, Mensa is like a frat / sorority, but without the college (or the hazing). There’s a thin veneer of intellectualism on the outside, and lots of partying, networking and just random conversation on the inside.
One side benefit (especially for those who travel): No matter where you go, you can probably install an instant social calendar and support network. If a tourist, you have a good chance to see more of a city than just the typical tourist attractions. If moving or working away from home, you can probably find community more rapidly.
Don’t let the supposed 2% intimidate you. Since there are so many qualifying tests that can be taken at so many stages of life, anyone who can qualify for a four-year college has a good chance of finding test or old score that would get him/her in.
Carole Moran
June 29, 2013
As a current member of American Mensa, I can tell immediately that the person who wrote the article doesn’t know why Mensans really join a club. His two reasons why people would join Mensa miss the mark by far. Perhaps he is trying to be humorous. And some of the comments definitely are humorous. And perhaps none of the above persons have ever belonged to any organizatins themselves and therefore can’t imagine why others would do so? None of you have belonged to any school, arts, sports, social, job-related organizations? Ever?
We join Mensa for various reasons. 1. Social compatability 2. Lack of other social outlets 3. Communication compatabiity. 4. New experiences. 5. To challenge ourselves. 6. And, yes, bragging rights. Those are a few that come immediately to mind. So, okay, let’s talk about some of them, eh?
The social and communication compatability issue is real. Think about people on the low end of the bell curve, perhaps in the lower 2% of the population mentally. What do you feel? What are you thinking? People on the high end of the bell curve frequently have as much difficulty in socializing and communicating with the masses of people in the center as the people in the center would have in dealing with those on the low end of that scale. Besides, there are many people above the average who are not in Mensa. Mensa just accounts for the really odd people in the upper 2% whom many of you might dismiss as weirdos anyway. So why do you care if we have our own club? Is belonging to a group of unpopular nerds your goal in life?
What about bragging of our high IQ? I’ve never heard anyone do that in Mensa over the course of almost twenty years in that organization. We don’t see ourselves as better than other people–only different. Do Mensans use their membership to promote themselves in the world at large? Yes, some do. Does it help? Rarely. People get the notion that we’re bragging about our IQ for some strange reason. Most folks down’t take well to that and we’re bright enough to get the picture, eventually.
Is there a place in Mensa for stupidity? For lack of knowledge? For inappropriate behavior? Yes, yes, yes. And more. As human beings we are subject to the same (or more) problems as others. All IQ does is say that we think in a way that is different from most other people and which sets us apart most frequently in social and communication areas. We call our stupid mistakes “Densan.” So now you know. We have only the knowledge that we have learned in school, on the job, or taught ourselves by reading–same as everyone else. We have a lot of learning disorders, in fact, which means many Mensans have glaring holes in their education.
And finally, why aren’t all Mensans successful, rich and famous? Why should they be? Only people without imagination think that the pinacle of life is struggling for a lifetime in a corporate or governmental structure. In my experience, many Mensans prefer to go where the money is, and if that means plumbing, they become plumbers. Many others prefer a marginal existence where happiness (whatever that means to them) is their goal. And others just can’t seem to focus on one thing for sufficient time. They are interested in almost everything and refuse to limit themselves to one area of life. So crucify us, why don’t you? Hahahahahahha…..
Scorpio7
July 3, 2013
The “potential Mensan” is the NERD in grade school who is picked on by the school bullies, only because s/he consistently scores the highest (or near the highest) on tests. Eventually, after a few bloody noses or bruises, s/he (usually a “he”) discovers that it is better to “dumb down” on tests and other projects, to become an average student (and more accepted by his peers). Doing so also allows you to not be selected last, when it comes time for your classmates to choose up sides for sporting teams, but kills any chances you once had, to score a scholarship to some Ivy League university.
But, not surprisingly, when one of those same bullies (who frequently derided you on the playground during recess) has a problem with their studies, they come to the NERD, requesting help. After the help is cheerfully given, they return to their animosity towards him, until the next time help is needed.
I’ve been in Mensa since 1986 (a life member, since 1987) and when I am asked, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?” I always respond with, “What makes you think that I am NOT ‘rich’? Maybe I am, and I have done a wonderful job of hiding it, so you can’t tell. ‘Rich’ folks don’t have a certain ‘look’ about them, you know, just as Mensans don’t ‘look’ a certain way.”
Those who hurl insults at/about Mensans, are usually motivated by jealousy, or perhaps feelings of their own intellectual inadequacy. Intellect is something with which one is born, while “smarts” comes from schooling. This explains why Mensa® has high school dropouts within its ranks, and why there are PhD’s who cannot qualify to join us.
I’m certainly not ashamed nor embarrassed by my being a Mensan, any more than a buddy of mine is ashamed or embarrassed by the fact that he has six toes on his left foot.
It’s the way we were BORN, so, in a sense, what we have is a gift from the Creator, right?
Mike
July 25, 2013
“If your so smart, then why the hell do you have to shove it in people’s faces, you’d know you were smart, and that it’d be a bad idea in life. A.) because they’re probably either your boss, your co-workers, or your friends who will all leave you, or B.) because you’re just ASKING to get beaten up. Most likely, though, Mensa is just like picking out of a hat; you can break it if you go and tell all the idiots of the world to do it at one test time, and that’s probably how some got in. Also, what snobs decided to rank the world in a quiz that deals with friggin’ patterns and stuff?”
Scorpio7
July 25, 2013
I’ve never “shoved” my Mensa® membership in another person’s face, as you put it. In fact, I usually don’t mention my membership at all, unless I encounter a person whom I feel could qualify for membership, or am socializing with other Mensans.
I tend to keep my own membership a secret, just as I would if I had a cousin who was on Death Row at the San Quentin (California) prison complex.
tguven
June 28, 2014
I wish to comment about that remark on IKEA furniture. There is an autistic savant who can do nothing else well except assemble IKEA furniture. He cannot talk, but he assembles IKEA furniture for a living.
Curtis
January 19, 2015
Intelligence does not equal smart. It’s a talent with how the brain works. Not all Mensans can hear music & play it perfectly without ever taking a music lesson, but some can. Some can look at a list of numbers & instantly calculate them accurately, most can’t. There are several different types of intelligence, and while someone has a rare talent doesn’t mean they have knowledge only found from books or experience. Studing & hard work beats intelligence when intelligence doesn’t study & work hard. Mensa is simply a place for those with a talent. Einstein was a genius who lacked several skills in other areas out of his science field, but because of his high IQ mixed with his hard work, he is respected & more capable than other scientists. I don’t think he ever went around telling people how smart he was, but his accomplishments in his area of discipline made it pretty clear.
Jim Wheeler
January 1, 2016
Labels do matter in human society. There is a need for that because decisions demand it. Hiring is one example and academic placement is another. Unfortunately, intelligence tests don’t cover many components that make for success, things like social skills, patience, demeanor, artistic talent and the hard-to-nail-down thing called leadership. Here in the computer age, I submit, labels are more dangerous than ever because they can be more easily inflated or even claimed falsely. Some even lie about military service and medals that never were.
I was never invited to join Mensa and I like the Dilbert comic strip. I wonder if the two are related?
jotsfromasmallapt
June 2, 2016
My BEING A SMART BUILDER application to IKEA was accepted.
First meeting is tonight therefore I really can’t accept your MENSA party invitation.
You’re welcome…
Carl D'Agostino
April 28, 2017
Do not see any list or archives to go to recent posts. You are still blogging right ?
The Good Greatsby
April 28, 2017
Yes. I still post. Here’s the most recent: https://thegoodgreatsby.com/2017/04/27/youve-been-tying-your-shoelaces-wrong/