I qualify for Mensa, and made inquiries as to the political activities of the organization. I thought it would be kind of cool if Mensa supported or opposed various political initialtives based on some kind of logic and study.
But they don’t do any such thing. In fact, their policy is to avoid taking such stands. All they are interested in is the phenomenom of intelligence. They have no interest at all in trying to harness it for the good of society.
I can tell you for a fact that at the regional mensa meetings it’s mostly all about getting laid. And yes, there are quite a few surprisingly smart people in mensa – and quite a few who are dumber than you’d expect – considering it’s an high IQ society.
There’s even a little of the —
“1. Identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
2. Encourage research in the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence.
3. Provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for members” ---- stuff, but not much. It’s mostly just a place to hang out - like Straightdope.
People join MENSA for bragging rights, nothing more.
Flying_Monk writes:
> You’d think a bunch of really smart guys would put those high-
> powered heads together & solve some of the world’s ills.
I guess you could say the same thing about the posters on the SDMB.
Qadgop the Mercotan writes:
> Working like them is like herding cats, trying to organize them
> to do a task is like being nibbled to death by ducks!
And you could say this about the people of the SDMB too.
I’ve got it — we can have a Mensa verse Straightdope smart-a-thon. I’m telling you, there are some posters at Straightdope that would put most any Mensa member to shame. Of course the opposite is also true. If only the Great Debate Straightdopers were represented in the Smart-a-thon against the Mensa members I’d give the edge to Straightdope. If all Straightdopers are represented it would be very close. Of course, if you remove the Great Debaters from the Straightdope group, Mensa wins.
Lets settle this once and for all -
I wonder how you came to that generalization? I’ve already said I’m a member, and bragging was not my motivation. In fact, there are many “closet” Mensans who never, ever, tell anyone about their membership. Sometimes they are wary of the kind of treatment they got in grammar school when they were shunned or teased for being “different” or “weird.”
Of course there are some who join just to brag, but they don’t do it much at a Mensa meeting; that’s one thing that is just never done. In a similar fashion, I have met a few really, and I mean REALLY stuck-up people outside of Mensa who have a PhD in something non-medical like English Literature, who insist on being called “Doctor” in everyday life just because they can. Such folks may be smart, but there are a lot of other things they are not.
Yup.