Xref: utzoo soc.singles:12938 alt.flame:1312
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!sdcrdcf!ism780c!mikep
From: mikep@ism780c.UUCP (Michael A. Petonic)
Newsgroups: soc.singles,alt.flame
Subject: Re: In defense of Mensa
Message-ID: <8608@ism780c.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jan 88 05:49:28 GMT
References: <1537@codas.att.com> <1538@codas.att.com> <1013@3comvax.3Com.Com>
Reply-To: mikep@ism780c.UUCP (Michael A. Petonic)
Organization: Interactive Systems Corp., Santa Monica CA
Lines: 40

In article <1013@3comvax.3Com.Com> michaelm@3comvax.UUCP (Michael McNeil) writes:
>In article <1538@codas.att.com> karthur@codas.att.com (Kurt_R_Arthur) writes:
>>In article <1968@rti.UUCP> wfi@rti.UUCP (William Ingogly) writes:
>>> What can the rejectee assume other than he's just not GOOD
>>> ENOUGH to join Mensa?
>>Well, you can join my new group "DENSA" for people too stupid to join 
>>organizations.  
>I think it was Groucho Marx who said, "I wouldn't join any organization
>that'd have me for a member!"

Enough about this Mensa subject.  I've seen this little game being played
in many social circles and I suppose I should have guessed that the
net would be a place where this would appear. 

It seems that someone has to mention that he belongs to Mensa or could
have qualified or whatever.  The key point is that others realize
that this isn't the average cookie they're talking to, but a
bona-fide top 2%'er.  And from here, there's usually a couple people
who vehamently flame against it (I used to be one of them).  Then
the discussion usually degenerates to calling Mensa a backpatting
society or something. 

I guess it's a harmless game because the person who is in Mensa
(or "could've" joined) goes away feeling superior based on 
intellect and the others who "could've" joined but chose
not to feel superior based on their humility and lack of
arrogance.

At the risk of being too generous, I'd venture a guess that at least
20% of UseNet readers would fall into the 98th percentile in
intelligence.  So, it isn't so impressive here.  

Regardless if you've scored high enough on any test to join
Mensa, it doesn't prove anything.  What does impress me is
what you do with your supposed intellect.  Anyways, I
look upon it as another organization just like IEEE or ACM, but
not on the professional level.  Sort of like the ``Boy's Club'' or
something.

-MikeP