Comments on: Time For A New Thread On Rec.org.mensa

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 17 May 2006 15:45:40 +0000

Jack, one of the constant discussions is the meaning of IQ tests and the consensus is that it means you can take tests, which is not a marketable skill. While well known people like the late Isaac Azimov and Geena Davis have admitted to being members, they don’t exactly highlight the fact.

“Vox Day” is a “professional” member, using it as a crutch to support flawed conclusions.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 17 May 2006 15:29:21 +0000

Actually Mensa was founded in Britain as an excuse for people to ignore the normal class barriers by creating new ones, but the letters to the editor were a real hoot. It was definitely a place where the Religious Reich was a persecuted minority and you had better be able to support your claims.

By: Jack K.

Jack K. — Wed, 17 May 2006 15:23:48 +0000

…I did also, for the record, qualify (recruited by a coworker), but I didn’t stick around long enough to require the 12-step program to get better. Such an absurd connection to the “final solution” is grounds for dismissal from civilized society and clearly demonstrates the huge gulf between raw intellect and the capability for critical thought. Mensa should get a restraining order against this guy to prohibit him from mentioning its name…

By: Len Cleavelin

Len Cleavelin — Wed, 17 May 2006 13:20:32 +0000

I haven’t met a Mensan yet who hasn’t made me quite satisfied with my wisdom; I’ve always thought that the whole idea of Mensa (Hey! Let’s create a club for people who can score at or above a certain percentile on one of a number of standardized tests!) was incredibly stupid. (And for the record, yes, I would qualify for Mensa based on my LSAT score; I’m not indulging in sour grapes.)

I’m not counting you among those Mensans since you’re recovering. But I’ve never met an active Mensan I particularly wanted to associate with on a regular basis (i.e., once a year, at most, if and only if I was related to them by blood or marriage and therefore couldn’t get out of it).