Mensa

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Hello

I'd like to know, from members of Mensa, if it's worth belonging to it. I would like to meet like minded individuals and part of the failure to do so is due to difference of intelligence between me and those around me. However, I once saw a documentary about IQ where they interviewed a Mensa member and she said something like "Oh, you can do lots of things here. You can do sudoku, etc.". That strikes me as extremely unapealing. If the activities consist of gathering in a place to brag about your inteligence, while you do sudoku puzzles, I'm not interested. There must be something more to it. So my question is what is your experience of that club like? What activities do you have?

I'm eligible. But three isn't a Mensa organization where I am. From what I heard there are a multitude of special interest groups that are supposed to be intellectually stimulating.
I don't see the point of joining yet, however. Maybe that will change eventually.

I'm a member.

And get their newsletter.

But I dont get very active.

I work on weekends, and thats a big part of the problem for getting involved with any group (I also get e-mails from the local adult aspie/autie group as well- and have been doing activities with them sporadically- but its hard).

The city mensa group had a games night that was close to me that I used to go to on wednesdays years ago that was kinda fun.

I dunno- its a perennial newyears resoluions-"get more active in mensa" but I dont do it.

If I put more into it I might get more out of it - I guess is the point.

So I dont know what to tell you.

I did some research, sounds very nice. And you mentioned an ASD group which is appealing. I do have a question, though. I don't know if this is appropriate to ask, but in your opinion, do Mensans in general come off as arrogant or full of themselves?
If not, I may consider joining when/if Mensa sets up a branch in Taiwan...

Haven't joined Mensa. I did once go to a Mensa party. Most people sat around doing math puzzles, except the one (unmarried) couple, (seemed they had just met) who probably were about age 45, who made out with full on tongue action and the whole bit. (Everyone else seemed to ignore or tolerate it, so as a guest there, I ignored it too.) I found the party unappealing, although, there were some interesting people there.

Toward the end of the party, a few college age people came in (I was in my 20s at the time too, although, age didn't matter, the most interesting person at the party for me, was 91) and livened things up a bit, only because the other people there perked up somewhat and began chatting more animatedly once the younger ones walked in.

Basically some of them had mentioned earlier in the evening, that they were bored with Mensa because there were not enough young people who were members. (That was the subtext I took from their statements.) Kind of a reverse ageism (preferring people of a different age) - from the old.

That is my one experience with it though. I think it will vary by local chapter. Also there are national things to do and events to go to. For some it was a question of affording the annual membership dues.

Honestly if I had hands on my qualifying test, which the schools had long since gotten rid of, or had a chance to study for the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) since I am too long out of school to be up on the math formulas most IQ tests rely heavily upon, and then a chance to find and pay a qualified administrator for the MAT, I might have gone for it. As it was, it wasn't that worth pursuing, for me. I'm not big on parties though.

The chapter also had game nights and many outings (ETA: including cinemas and restaurants as a group), and at the time I was trying to be more social and I would've met more than who were at that rather small gathering, if I had stuck with it. (I was invited to attend regardless of joining.) But I didn't, for whatever reasons.

I'd say try it, can't hurt to try. Phone up the local chapter head and ask if you can attend some of their outings before you join.

(ETA: They did not seem arrogant to me at all. They were open and welcoming to me.)

I was a member, but got tired of the "Smater-Than-Thou" attitude that seemed to permeate the membership.

At least I was smart enough to delete all of my membership records from their database before leaving.

even if I had that kind of brainpower, I would decline membership in an organization which segregated itself from average folk.

My experience & thoughts regarding Mensa:

I've been on the fence about joining Mensa for years for a variety of reasons, some of which are on this thread. My objective was stimulating intellectual discussion after too many pool parties with kid's soccer small-talk and whatnot (for me extended exposure to small-talk is like getting a root canal).

A few years ago I took the eligibility exam (or w/e it's called), which was easy and a bit interesting actually. Months after that the local chapter president(?) wouldn't stop soliciting joining the group, for whatever reason.

One point of interest: I emailed the contact that set me up with exam and contested the English vocabulary section (IMO that should not be a factor in any IQ test). To my surprise I received a prompt reply basically stating "no problem, you can take the international test, it doesn't contain a English vocabulary section" (apparently it's replaced with something else) . Perhaps that option is still available and may help someone that would like to join.

Shortly after that I took on a new job with crazy overtime and I didn't move forward with membership.

The research I conducted on Mensa membership job search benefits at the time showed minimal effect, essentially "oh, you're (in) Mensa...", nothing more. Research focus was my industry; Information Technology. If your local chapter has members in your sector networking may have value.

Reading what I see here I'm less interested today; math puzzles do not sound appealing to me. Wonder what they're they're up to these days...

I haven't done any research on political implications as I avoid politics as much as possible. I'd go there only if I was planning to join.

Regarding separation from common folk: for better and worse, we Aspies are not common folk, we are a minority. If you have AS, the sooner you accept that the better, provided you have issues that may be related to the condition of course. I'm already eccentric so no issue there but I would have issue with anyone gloating over non-members/majority.

My takeaway from experience and this thread is your mileage will vary. My recommendation to anyone interested in membership would be to contact your local chapter and request an invite to a few events. At least in my case invites without membership was not an issue.

I've always seen Mensa as just a way of saying "Oh we're a bunch of smart people! Great!". To my knowledge they don't really "do" anything, other than put out critical thinking puzzle games and stuff like that. So what use is it to gather a bunch of smart people together if not to somehow use all that intelligence?