Mensa - anybody here joined.

lanos

On Tuesday, the Irish examiner ran a piece on Mensa and the application process.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/video-want-to-find-out-how-clever-you-are-ellie-obyrne-takes-on-the-mensa-test-292197.html

Does anybody here have any experience of the organisation. Is it a complete waste of time and money, or Is there anything positive in gaining membership apart from stroking the ego a little and the chance to feel superior to the 98% of the worlds population who can never join (allegedly)

biko

You get 5% off in libraries.

Sunnyisland

Well Brendan o Carroll is a member so it must be good,but I will have to ask the mammy...

Hande hoche!

Had a friend who joined or else he forged a card. Didn't know that Jimmy Savile was in it.

lanos

lanos wrote: »

Is it a complete waste of time and money

yes

Axel Lamp

Tough entrance exam, very tough

Saipanne

I have two memberships, such is the size of my brain.

For Forks Sake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrfhjLd9e4

Turtwig

bluewolf wrote: »

yes

What isn't though?

the article wrote:

We were all in agreement that it’s not an achievement in the same way that completing a triathlon or achieving grade eight in piano would be, because it’s not something over which we have control.

The sooner we get of rid of this myth the better. There's natural variations to everything but you can improve your IQ in a similar way you can improve from being a sedentary couch potato to ultra marathon runner - A person's level of intellect isn't fixed for life.

Sky King

I'm wary of holding in high regard people with such a limited set of specific skills. Sure... you can arrange the shapes in the correct logical order, but can you make someone laugh, empathise with someone who is depressed, write a beautiful song, raise a family, compose a compelling tale, run a great business? Where are the exclusive societies for people who can do that?


TLDR: I have an inferiority complex.

lanos

lanos wrote: »

Does anybody here have any experience of the organisation. Is it a complete waste of time and money

bluewolf wrote: »

yes

Is this opinion based on first or second-hand information, or did you just feel like criticizing Mensa for the heck of it.

lanos

lanos wrote: »

Is this opinion based on first or second-hand information, or did you just feel like criticizing Mensa for the heck of it.

First hand. A magazine every month and going to a meet up where I was glared at til I left again
No interest since
That was the under 18s branch. maybe it's different for the adult one but I wouldn't be interested

Turtwig

Sky King wrote: »

I'm wary of holding in high regard people with such a limited set of specific skills. Sure... you can arrange the shapes in the correct logical order, but can you make someone laugh, empathise with someone who is depressed, write a beautiful song, raise a family, compose a compelling tale, run a great business? Where are the exclusive societies for people who can do that?


TLDR: I have an inferiority complex.

The above would mostly be Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Don't know if there's a society established for one, but imo there should be. It'd sure be nice to know the empathetic people in this world are when times get tough.

bluewolf wrote: »

First hand. A magazine every month and going to a meet up where I was glared at til I left again
No interest since

Well, I suppose, in the stereotypical culture of geeks seeing a 'wolf' in their society would be a little bit of a "there are no wolves on the internet" moment?

Tail Docker

I applied to Mensa but I fecked up the address and ended up a member of a mens spa. Dunno about the high IQ of the members, but they certainly loved their assless chaps. And moustaches.

Sky King

The above would mostly be Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Don't know if there's a society established for one, but imo there should be. It'd sure be nice to know the empathetic people in this world are when times get tough.

What about creativity?

lanos

Axel Lamp wrote: »

Tough entrance exam, very tough

Did you join ?
I might give it a go.
Only problem is that there is no test centre in limerick.

Turtwig

Sky King wrote: »

What about creativity?

Don't know the specifics. It does come under some category (categories?) of intelligence.

biko

My Mensa cert brings all the chicks to the yard.

Axel Lamp

lanos wrote: »

Did you join ?
I might give it a go.
Only problem is that there is no test centre in limerick.

No, as I didn't make the cut :-( too thick for mensa.

I did the test in Cork. IMO It'd be worth travelling to Dublin or Cork to do it if you're genuinely interested.

Deenie123

Did the test, "passed", but didn't see the point so didn't join.

biko

Did you try some of the their pre-test activities?
https://www.mensa.org/workout

Scuid Mhór

I never understood how anyone who was supposedly three deviations from the mean of intelligence could pay money to join a club that exists to endorse how smart they are.

Guy:Incognito

Mensa tried to join me. They failed.

_Whimsical_

Nobody who is demonstrably intelligent joins Mensa anymore. It's ranks are swelled with glamour models,ex politicians,actors and assorted people who require a badge and a monthly magazine in the letterbox that they can point to if they need to assert the fact that they're smart.
It's a mugs game, you're not going to find Stephen Hawking or his like joining Mensa.

GerB40

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

I never understood how anyone who was supposedly three deviations from the mean of intelligence could pay money to join a club that exists to endorse how smart they are.

Bragging rights..

steddyeddy

People who make great discoveries, publish scientific papers or further knowledge in a particular field are intelligent. People who join a club because they think they are intelligent aren't particularly. The biggest load of wasters going tbh.

mackg

bluewolf wrote: »

First hand. A magazine every month and going to a meet up where I was glared at til I left again
No interest since
That was the under 18s branch. maybe it's different for the adult one but I wouldn't be interested

Any particular reason they were dicks to you? that you're aware of.

Teyla Emmagan

mackg wrote: »

Any particular reason they were dicks to you? that you're aware of.

They were clearly intimidated by her intelligence!

The_Minister

I was a member - very pleasant group of people but it just wasn't for me.

If you lack intelligent (educated / well-read etc ) conversation in your work and social life, then I can see how valuable it would be to have as an outlet, but if you have that in your life anyway, I don't think it adds anything really.

It's basically like a rarefied MeetUp.


You just have to view it in the context that until recently there was a serious strain of anti-intellectualism in parts of Irish society, and there weren't that many outlets for people who were particularly intelligent/educated/well-read.

The internet has probably taken a lot of the purpose out of Mensa.

steddyeddy

The_Minister wrote: »

I was a member - very pleasant group of people but it just wasn't for me.

If you lack intelligent (educated / well-read etc ) conversation in your work and social life, then I can see how valuable it would be to have as an outlet, but if you have that in your life anyway, I don't think it adds anything really.

It's basically like a rarefied MeetUp.


You just have to view it in the context that until recently there was a serious strain of anti-intellectualism in parts of Irish society, and there weren't that many outlets for people who were particularly intelligent/educated/well-read.

The internet has probably taken a lot of the purpose out of Mensa.

Ireland has a long history of intellectualism. You're not looking hard enough.

Turtwig

steddyeddy wrote: »

Ireland has a long history of intellectualism. You're not looking hard enough.

S/he said parts of society were anti intellectual. Not the whole of it.

steddyeddy

Turtwig wrote: »

S/he said parts of society were anti intellectual. Not the whole of it.

The same with any society. The universities are the place to go for intellectualism. They actually research things and further our knowledge in particular areas. That's a sign of true intelligence IMHO.

Turtwig

Disagree, many university academics are patently stupid.

True intelligence encompasses knowledge, creativity, reasoning, empathy, etc.

steddyeddy

Turtwig wrote: »

Disagree, many university academics are patently stupid.

True intelligence encompasses knowledge, creativity, reasoning, empathy, etc.

Well I can assure you the academics who shaped my knowledge of science were anything but stupid.

Quazzie

Mensa has a disproportionate amount of virgins.

bitemeluis

Turtwig wrote: »

Disagree, many university academics are patently stupid.

True intelligence encompasses knowledge, creativity, reasoning, empathy, etc.

Empathy? Is this not considered emotional? Why would it be considered in Intellectual evaluation?

J Mysterio

What IQ score do you need to join?

Turtwig

bitemeluis wrote: »

Empathy? Is this not considered emotional? Why would it be considered in Intellectual evaluation?

If you can't assess emotional cues then you're clearly lacking in a mode of intelligence. Emotional intelligence, or whatever the scientific term for it is, is very important.

B.A._Baracus

Turtwig wrote: »

If you can't assess emotional cues then you're clearly lacking in a mode of intelligence. Emotional intelligence, or whatever the scientific term for it is, is very important.

I wonder how much "emotional intelligence" bill gates and donald trump have then :pac: .. Don't think that stopped either.

Quazzie

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I wonder how much "emotional intelligence" bill gates and donald trump have then :pac: .. Don't think that stopped either.

So wealth=intelligence.

Why didn't you point out this magic formula before.

J Mysterio

Anybody have a link for an IQ test that isn't a scam?

Just did one and was then asked to pay (surely I have a high IQ).

B.A._Baracus

Quazzie wrote: »

So wealth=intelligence.

Why didn't you point out this magic formula before.

Highly sarcastic of you my good man.
I did say Bill Gates and Donald Trump. Not Katie Price and Paris Hilton. But read what you want to read.

J Mysterio

J Mysterio wrote: »

What IQ score do you need to join?

There are a couple different tests with different scales. I think the common one at the moment has 140+ as the criterion but some are 150+. Not that they're harder, I think they just scale it differently

Deenie123

bluewolf wrote: »

There are a couple different tests with different scales. I think the common one at the moment has 140+ as the criterion but some are 150+. Not that they're harder, I think they just scale it differently

I think it's something like you have to be in the 98th percentile, and on some tests that's 140, on others that's 150 or more.

Deenie123

Deenie123 wrote: »

I think it's something like you have to be in the 98th percentile, and on some tests that's 140, on others that's 150 or more.

Yeah that's what I was trying to say. Clearly need coffee :cool:

steddyeddy

I think my problem with a group like Mensa is that their existence is pointless outside of bragging rights. If you want to be a part of an exclusive group do something that requires intelligence. Publish a paper, further our knowledge or help cure a disease.

lanos

steddyeddy wrote: »

do something that requires intelligence. Publish a paper, further our knowledge or help cure a disease.

if you are not in research, how can you publish a paper
or cure a disease even

small bit short sighted I reckon

Ellie O'Byrne, the journalist from the examiner who wrote the piece on Mensa is not much of a journalist if you ask me.
she claims to have qualified for membership but she won't go the extra step and cough up fifty odd euro for membership

does the examiner pay so little for articles that she cant afford a measly few quid that would enable her to write a follow-up article
what a waster !!!

or else she's a total bulls**tter

steddyeddy

lanos wrote: »

if you are not in research, how can you publish a paper
or cure a disease even

small bit short sighted I reckon

Ellie O'Byrne, the journalist from the examiner who wrote the piece on Mensa is not much of a journalist if you ask me.
she claims to have qualified for membership but she won't go the extra step and cough up fifty odd euro for membership

does the examiner pay so little for articles that she cant afford a measly few quid that would enable her to write a follow-up article
what a waster !!!

or else she's a total bulls**tter

If you're (not you people in general) are so intelligent then nothing is stopping you entering research.

OneArt

Maybe the lady in question is highly intelligent, but she's certainly not good at punctuation. Or writing.

I don't read Irish press much anymore but every time I do there's a horrific amount of basic punctuation and grammatical errors. Seriously, do they even hire editors anymore?

steddyeddy

I wonder what Mensa make about the recently elucidated fact that IQ isn't fixed.

lanos

steddyeddy wrote: »

If you're (not you people in general) are so intelligent then nothing is stopping you entering research.

Post-docs are notoriously badly paid for research these days. They are paid substantially sub-50k per annum for a short term contact in an open-plan office. Why would anyone do it.
However, industry driven R&D is a different matter entirely, but we're not talking about that are we ?