This banter seems to be between me and those who are insecure because I happen to have joined a particular club, so let's start this here.
1) It's funny to me how people immediatley get all insecure when MENSA is mentioned.
The reaction you get is almost as if you are telling them outright that they are stupid.
So, they begin to cope.
They blame the entrance tests for not being right...
They say the members are boring...
They say say all members are snobs...
They say they are smart enough to get in, but didn't want to... and so on.
It shows a VERY weak mind. Kinda like th programmed response to "gun owner" is "red neck".
It's a joke. But the sad thing is, it's a joke being told by the majority, so as dumb as the MENSA bashers look, and as transparent as their reasoning is, they will never realize it, because there are so many others right along side them saying the same things.
2) MENSA in no way is a precursor ro "making money". To those of you who are slaves to the allmighty dollar (Fine for you), you will NEVER NEVER be able to understand that it isn't god to everyone. When you try and correlate ones inherent intellegance with making money, that tells me you don't get what the clubs all about.
It isn't a capitalists club. It's a thinkers club. Some of you will never understand that "money" and "smart" are two different things (And that lack of understanding is probably why you're offended by MENSA in the first place)
3) Just because you aren't a member doesn't mean that members think you to be immediatley "stupid".
The catch here the majority of people are indeed stupid (As shown in the last presedential election, where the majority of us voted for Al Gore), thus there is sort of an automated reaction from those who aren't stupid. Like, sometimes I have used the word "inferior". When you examine the context, I am clearly not saying all non-members are across-the-board "inferior"... I am simply addressing those [b][i]WHO INDEED HAPPEN TO BE INTELECTUALLY INFERIOR[/b][/i]. I know you have been trained to become offended by anyone who suggests such a wild thing as intellectual supeority might exists, but I can't help that. You too very well may be stupid, and I don't expect you to take that well when one points it out (And probably stings a bit more coming from a stuck up "MENSA" member).
If you shout "STOP, THIEF" in a crowded room, only the thieves will run.
If you say "Intelectually Inferior" on an internet BBS, only those who fit that sdescription will take offence.
4) The tests. MENSA is in no way rooted in exclusivity. ANYONE who meets the criteria can join.
You will find those who [i]DON'T[/i] meet the criteria usually blame the test. This is to be expected, as I can't count how many times i've seen piss poor shooters "blame the gun".
IQ and SAT tests are a fair gauge at ones ability to process information.
Just because they are used in college admissions, as the Maclallan points out, in no way negates thier validity.
5) Admissions into the club in no way means you are world class at everything you do. Again. If you believed this, it was simply a sterotypical pigeon hole for you to rest your weak mind in.
I for one am a piss poor speller, and am only slightly average at spatial.
There are people in the group who can't multiply their "8" times tables, but can name every ruler of Japan going back 2000 years.
There are members who can't name 6 presidents back, but can sit on a milling machine and make unbelievable gadgets. It's a broad cross section.
6) All MENSA members are 5'2 and weigh 105# without their glasses.
This is the most common weak-minded sterotype.
I for one am very small, only being 5'5 and weighing 125#... But many members aren't.
7) Being a member in MENSA in no way means you are a good person; but, you have to realize the purpose of MENSA isn't to gather "good people". It's to gather "smart people".
I personally would MUCH rather conversate with an interesting, evil genius than a boring, decent person. This doesn't mean I don't like or appreciate these people. It just means that when I go to a meeting, it has a specifig purpose that has nothing to do with "goodness".
So.
If you are [b]STILL[/b] offended by MENSA and it's members, what the fuck ever. I can't help that.