Do these people who say they wouldn’t join Mensa because the people aren’t smart enough, not join any groups of people less smart than Mensans? No hiking club or soccer team?
If you enjoy what they do, then go for it. I don’t know what they do.
Key difference: if you’re joining Mensa, you’re doing it for the smart people. (Well, that and the signalling, but I think we’ve established now that the signalling is unlikely to be useful in this case. Or perhaps in any other.)
I would usually avoid going to a restaurant if the food weren’t distinctly better than I could make. That wouldn’t stop me visiting a friend for dinner just because s/he doesn’t cook much better than I do.
The value of mentioning mensa on your CV depends on which country you are in. In India, China and Japan, employers usually consider it a sign of good potential and tend to rate a mensa member higher than a non-mensa member, if other things are similar. In the U.S., I have been told it is not considered that much of a plus and, sometimes even a minus, as a sign of boasting.
Mensa tests, though professionally moderated and standardised, also differ from country to country. In India, for example, they are independent of language and in our tribal mensa programme we have found that the same percentage of tribal children qualify as educated urban children.
Mensa only measures a very small spectrum of giftedness. You can be a genius at performing and visual arts or at sports and not qualify for mensa. Mensa tests also do not measure emotional giftedness.
Mensa is neither good nor bad. It is just a club for people of similar IQ to get together. As this does not mean similar interests or similar social smartness, mensa meetings can sometimes be a let-down for some. The individual chapter’s programs also matter and if these match your preferences, you would love to belong. I have always found a spark in the conversation in these meetings which can sometimes be very stimulating for the brain-cells. Sometimes it is a revelation to hear a truly brilliant person, even if you do not agree with his or her views.
Unless you join mensa and judge the experience for yourself, you are merely looking at maps made by other people. If you have qualified, do join. You may or may not like the territory but, at least you would have your own experience to decide.
This thread is a bit old, but I just found it. Please bear with me and my late reply.
My opinion is that Mensa should have nothing to do with your CV. The concern about boasting or trying to appear superior is a valid one, so I’d recommend just keeping it quiet when applying for work.
However, there is a lot more to life than your CV. One of the keys to success in life is to learn that the most important asset anyone can have (more important than intelligence, creativity, leadership ability, aptitudes, people skills, or good looks, while some or all of those may very well be important, however less) is their connections to other people. Never burn a bridge behind you without knowing for sure that there’s no other option. And if ever a chance to meet and network with a new group of people comes up, jump on it!
That’s the true value of Mensa—it’s a networking opportunity. If you really are “too intelligent to care about Mensa” then you’ve missed out on a group of people that might provide you with interesting connections and conversation, mix of ideas, and the opportunity to rub shoulders with people who just may change your life. OR you may just change theirs. It works both ways. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We’re social creatures. Why not make use of that when an opportunity presents?
Do these people who say they wouldn’t join Mensa because the people aren’t smart enough, not join any groups of people less smart than Mensans? No hiking club or soccer team?
If you enjoy what they do, then go for it. I don’t know what they do.
Key difference: if you’re joining Mensa, you’re doing it for the smart people. (Well, that and the signalling, but I think we’ve established now that the signalling is unlikely to be useful in this case. Or perhaps in any other.)
I would usually avoid going to a restaurant if the food weren’t distinctly better than I could make. That wouldn’t stop me visiting a friend for dinner just because s/he doesn’t cook much better than I do.
The value of mentioning mensa on your CV depends on which country you are in. In India, China and Japan, employers usually consider it a sign of good potential and tend to rate a mensa member higher than a non-mensa member, if other things are similar. In the U.S., I have been told it is not considered that much of a plus and, sometimes even a minus, as a sign of boasting.
Mensa tests, though professionally moderated and standardised, also differ from country to country. In India, for example, they are independent of language and in our tribal mensa programme we have found that the same percentage of tribal children qualify as educated urban children.
Mensa only measures a very small spectrum of giftedness. You can be a genius at performing and visual arts or at sports and not qualify for mensa. Mensa tests also do not measure emotional giftedness.
Mensa is neither good nor bad. It is just a club for people of similar IQ to get together. As this does not mean similar interests or similar social smartness, mensa meetings can sometimes be a let-down for some. The individual chapter’s programs also matter and if these match your preferences, you would love to belong. I have always found a spark in the conversation in these meetings which can sometimes be very stimulating for the brain-cells. Sometimes it is a revelation to hear a truly brilliant person, even if you do not agree with his or her views.
Unless you join mensa and judge the experience for yourself, you are merely looking at maps made by other people. If you have qualified, do join. You may or may not like the territory but, at least you would have your own experience to decide.
Kishore Asthana, Mensa India—Delhi
This thread is a bit old, but I just found it. Please bear with me and my late reply.
My opinion is that Mensa should have nothing to do with your CV. The concern about boasting or trying to appear superior is a valid one, so I’d recommend just keeping it quiet when applying for work.
However, there is a lot more to life than your CV. One of the keys to success in life is to learn that the most important asset anyone can have (more important than intelligence, creativity, leadership ability, aptitudes, people skills, or good looks, while some or all of those may very well be important, however less) is their connections to other people. Never burn a bridge behind you without knowing for sure that there’s no other option. And if ever a chance to meet and network with a new group of people comes up, jump on it!
That’s the true value of Mensa—it’s a networking opportunity. If you really are “too intelligent to care about Mensa” then you’ve missed out on a group of people that might provide you with interesting connections and conversation, mix of ideas, and the opportunity to rub shoulders with people who just may change your life. OR you may just change theirs. It works both ways. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We’re social creatures. Why not make use of that when an opportunity presents?