What is the MENSA

I am responding based on my experience, first of all premising that anyone who believes Mensa is an association of super-intelligent nerds who act superior is completely off track. I consider myself anything but a Nerd, and those who know me can easily say so; I live a life where I try not to deprive myself of anything, I love art and culture just as much as I love spending time with my girlfriend, going out with friends, talking nonsense, and discussing trivial topics like any other person not enrolled in Mensa.

In my experience, I have been able to evaluate that those who express themselves in this sense towards the association are those who:

1) Do not know the association and speak without knowing what they are saying because they associate: Mensa -> Intelligence -> People who act superior

2) Are afraid of taking the test because they fear they won't be able to pass it

3) Have taken the test but did not pass (the highest percentage in this dispute).

I have been a member of Mensa since 2007 (the year I took the entrance test).

To join Mensa, it is actually necessary to take an IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test. Intelligence is distributed like a Gaussian curve; therefore, in the area of maximum probability (100 at the center of the graph), the largest number of people is concentrated. As you move away from this center, the probability of finding people with a higher or lower IQ decreases progressively. To gain access to Mensa, a member must obtain a score of at least 148 points on the Cattell scale, meaning they fall within the top 2% of the world population. Being a Mensa member thus implies that in a sample of 100 people, 2 will have the intelligence quotient required for entry.

Often, the measurement of the intelligence quotient is mistaken for the measure of an individual's total intelligence. This is TOTALLY FALSE!

The intelligence quotient alone provides some indications as it quantifies the abilities of the individual undergoing the test in a specific area of intelligence, namely logical-spatial intelligence. Total intelligence, however, is determined by a myriad of factors, to name just a few: verbal intelligence, mnemonic intelligence, social intelligence, etc., etc. Therefore, this type of test only identifies the faculty of being able to solve logical problems.

The test consists of 45 questions to be completed in 20 minutes (Raven's Matrices), which are matrices where one cell is missing and must be filled in by choosing from the possible answers.

In the end, the tests will be evaluated by psychologists and the response will arrive within two weeks by mail.

What are the benefits?

I would say first of all having the opportunity to participate in a forum where the most disparate topics are discussed, making new friends, being able to attend very interesting conferences, having support even abroad since Mensa is a worldwide association and, if desired, one can request hospitality abroad from other members, attending dinners, etc., etc.

I have just come from a dinner held last night in a magnificent hotel in Rome. In the morning there was a Brain competition for members and non-members, a conference in the early afternoon, and the dinner. Unfortunately, due to commitments, I could only participate in the dinner.

Here is a small snapshot of my girlfriend next to the Mensa sail...

It is certainly an experience that can also be useful at a curricular level.

I must say that I feel good within the association. At my last concert, even though they were notified at the last minute, 5 members came, of whom I only knew 1 (noting that of my usual friends, only 2 came). It is certainly a place where one can make very stimulating new friendships.

In short, it is not an association where Nerds are enrolled; there are engineers and scientists, but also butchers and workers. The common thread is somewhat the desire to know, to socialize, to exchange opinions, and to rack one's brains: very complex themes such as those related to society, marketing, logic, etc., have often been successfully addressed...

actually your photo proves to me that you are not a nerd, where were you?

What kind of conferences are held?

how is the association organized?
i had thought about joining a while ago but as you said, I thought it was a place full of know-it-alls with glasses.

Ahahahaha indeed... In this photo I am about 200 m from the coast in a two-person canoe with a friend. I had put my phone in one of those waterproof diving cases and we took a few photos.

At Mensa, conferences and guided tours of all kinds are organized. Conferences on the probability of life in the universe with experts in the field who lead research at national agencies, or guided visits to research institutes, but people also meet up to play role-playing games, to go to exhibitions, etc. It is very fashionable to meet up to go for a drink in pubs where Dr.Why is played (that game similar to the big quiz). In general, people talk about a bit of everything.

As for how the association is organized, I know little; I know there is a President and a Vice, then there are various other people who are voted in as counselors, and finally the regional secretaries who deal with synchronizing activities on a national basis and within their own region. In a sense, each region has its own autonomy and can organize events and meetings as it sees fit.

If you want to join, you must ask for more information on the Mensa website; you will find everything there.

Irina85 wrote:

i thought it was a place full of know-it-alls with glasses.

Glasses are worn by those who have vision problems, and in general, I don't understand people who say: "I don't like salad" without even having tasted it.

That they haven't tasted it is a certainty, since Mensa is a closed association that cannot be discovered unless you are a member or are invited by a friend who is a member to the organized conferences. If you are a member, you can choose to bring other people with you. I don't recall ever bringing people who were disappointed by the day. I feel compelled to say that Mensans are all decent people.

Undoubtedly there are also peculiar people, but in that context, everything floats around except for a know-it-all atmosphere; on the contrary, usually the "important" members—whether they be professors, teachers, or entrepreneurs—willingly share their knowledge very humbly with other Mensans. In fact, usually if some Mensan is particularly gifted in some branch of knowledge, they are encouraged to share their expertise with other members; there is thus this continuous cultural exchange. For example, next year (2015), I have been proposed to give a lecture/concert providing an overview of the greatest exponents of classical music for piano... A very difficult task to carry out in 2 or 3 hours. An IT security expert was asked to speak about online fraud and how to defend oneself. The topics are the most disparate, but from the introduction I gave, it seems that only serious things are discussed; instead, one can talk about cooking, leisure time... Every proposal, if coherent and skillfully and seriously realized, is normally accepted.

In almost 8 years that I have been a member, from what I know, only once was a new member kicked out with boots because he thought he was all that just because he had passed the test (perhaps he had forgotten that everyone inside had passed it).

In this context, arrogance is not permitted. The Mensa statutes reflect somewhat the rules of the British Club and the Round Table. All members must be equals, and on this rule, rightly so, they do not compromise.

well, I thought it was a trade association. how do you sign up? who should one call? are there any simulation tests to understand how difficult they are?

Effectively it is a trade association in every sense, but it differs greatly from what is usually thought.

I took the test seven years ago so I don't remember what the procedures are. In any case, you can find everything on the mensa website.

On the same website, there are also examples of tests that you can take. By browsing the Internet, it is also possible to find others. Obviously, the official mensa test is completely different, not in logic, but in questions compared to other tests available on the Internet. In any case, by taking some tests on the Internet, you can become familiar with the logic of matrices and approximately evaluate your chances of entering the association.