I realized that “Mensa” didn’t contain enough numerals to be a phone number, and knew it must be understood that any future member would be able to figure out the next two digits in the sequence. I tried dialling MENSANE, MENSAIL, MENSAFE, and MENSAAB, but got three rebuffs and a fax tone.

From “How I Joined MENSA” by Steve Martin

  • dan00@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Monthly emails about gathering with members, a useless plastic card and your ego filled to the brim. Don’t waste your time and money, weed is better.

    • tourist@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Same.

      The entire concept of mensa always rubbed me the wrong way

      It just feels like its only purpose is to be a magnet for narcissists.

      You’re supposedly one of the smartest people alive, and yet you somehow concluded that a good use of your limited time on Earth is to blow smoke up your own ass with a group of other pretentious jerkoffs who know how to cheese IQ tests

      • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        It just feels like its only purpose is to be a magnet for narcissists.

        I’ve seen a few dating profiles near me with women claiming to be in Mensa. I’m glad they mention it, as it’s a dog whistle for me to move on to another profile that will inevitably ignore me because I just don’t stack up.

        ~That’s meant to be funny.~

  • bobbyfiend@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    Thinking one step further: Even if I somehow got into MENSA (unlikely), I can’t imagine ever saying, “I see you have a MENSA discount…” ugh.

    • DigitalDilemma@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      Blame the Romans.

      Both words are derived from late Latin mentalis, from Latin mens, ment- ‘mind’.

  • Canopyflyer@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Mensa membership is directly correlated to taking online IQ tests.

    Truly intelligent people don’t.

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    3 months ago

    Genuinely don’t know if I qualify. I tend to score pretty high on the tests because my brain “gets” the exact kind of logic they usually test. What is more important though is that the tests suck in so many ways that it makes the results basically useless. Also I have yet to meet anyone who brags about their IQ score who happens to be anyone worth knowing.

    They’d need to pay me a lot of money to get me to even consider joining Mensa.

  • Anomalocaris@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    the mensa paradox.

    people smart enough to get in, are smart enough to know it’s not worth it

    • HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      Also, “smart” and high IQ are different things.

      There’s no way to objectively measure how “smart” someone is, but if you think the bogus test and bogus score developed by eugenic pseudoscientists looking for an excuse to prevent the untermensch from breeding is the objective measure, you are in fact stupid.

      • Anomalocaris@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        i think IQ tests were originally developed to see which school students never to go to the next class, or stay behind, it was meant to see if a student tests as his peers or as his next/previous class peers. the inventor never intended it to be used as a way to measure an intrinsic immutable trait on adults.

        https://share.google/TOOJM3X81hSIP0PvP

        it was seriously bastardised by racist pseudoscience.

    • HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      American Mensa’s Mensa Works

      Don’t get lost on the commercial job boards. American Mensa’s Mensa Works is an online employment marketplace uniquely tailored for Mensa members. Whether you’re looking for a new gig — or to grow your own workforce — visit Mensa Works today.

      HAHAHAHA!

      Imagine thinking you’re one of the smartest people in the world yet you still can’t get a job without your special club for alleged geniuses helping you.

      Wonder how many of those people flunked their interview by mentioning their IQ.

      Digital Membership Verification

      We’ve partnered with Credly, an online credentialing platform, to provide digital badges for members and Life Members, allowing you to easily share your service, achievement, and pride on social media, with your contacts, and across other digital platforms.

      Vanity email aliases

      Mensa International offers free vanity email aliases to all current Mensa members. If you’d like a “@member.mensa.org” address, you can have it free along with access to both American Mensa’s online Community and Mensa International’s global online community — for as long as you remain a current member of American Mensa.

      This is just pathetic and certainly not beating the narcissism claims.