Mensa National Testing Day

Ok you brainy Daria fans, here's your chance to have a little fun: American Mensa is holding National Testing Day on November 13, 1999. Over 100 different test sites in the U.S. will administer the Mensa admission tests. If you're interested, (and why wouldn't you be?) check out http://www.us.mensa.org/nationaltestingday.html for a list of sites and other information. You know you've always wanted to.

Maybe you already took a test years ago. It might be one of the approximately 200 tests that Mensa accepts. Why not find that piece of paper? If you don't see your test listed at the Mensa web site then you can E-mail Mensa and ask if it's acceptable. That's what I did.

Of course if you take the test and don't qualify, don't worry, all of us in a.t.d will still like you anyway. You're a Daria fan, aren't you? And that's what's really important, right? You don't even have to post your score--in fact it would be preferable if you didn't. Keep it your secret to cherish always.

I thought it likely that Daria fans might be interested. I'd bet that Daria would interested in Mensa.

Well, Daria's club-phobic, as I am, and I'll bet she wouldn't be about to shell out $30 just to take the test. Of course, with Daria, the odds of her getting in are much better; I personally am not ready to make the gamble. Plus, there's no test site close to here. (Now *there's* a shocker.)

On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 19:09:12 -0400, "R. K. Henry" wrote:

About as interested as she was in Grove Hills, I'd say.

wrote in message news:[email]...

The same thought crossed my mind.

I have to say that Mensa doesn't interest me greatly. I choose not to let anyone know my IQ score, and I'm shy about revealing which percentile I belong to; anyway, it's been so long since I was tested. Quite a few brain cells will have died since then (but I'm not going to give up my moderate consumption of real ale just to keep the little beggars alive).

I can see Mensa's advantages if it offers a chance for stimulating discussion; but I'd no sooner join a club whose sole criterion for membership is intelligence than I'd join one that only admits tall people with beards. A common interest is a different matter, especially if it has a campaigning element or offers some benefit to the wider population: so I'm happy to be in CAMRA, the National Trust, English Heritage, and so on.

Perhaps I also have some fear that if I did join, I'd be exposing myself to temptations to look down on people who aren't qualified to join, ala the Grove Hills kids. It's taken a lot of growing to get out of being a pompous teenager. At one stage I wouldn't say anything if I didn't have anything worth saying -- as you can tell, I've overcome that attitude <g>, but at times I'm still too pompous for my own taste. I don't want to risk indulging that side of my character and going back to where I once was.

It's entirely possible that my image of Mensa may be wholly inaccurate, and that its members are actually noted for being down-to-earth, and actively help each other overcome any temptation towards a sense of shared superiority.

Martin.

Martin Sylvester wrote in message news:7v17an$eu$[email]...

news:[email]...

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That's one of the objectives: having some people with whom you have a common interest. Someone to talk to who's more nearly like you. A lot like alt.tv.daria really. That's why I thought it possible that some a.t.d denizens might be interested. If there are any who are interested then here's a chance to do something about it that I thought they might be upset if they missed. If you aren't interested then that's ok.

I noticed in Helen's daybook that she mentioned that Daria had joined D.A.R.--another exclusive organization. If Daria were in D.A.R. (even if, as I suspect, it was Helen's doing) I'd think she'd really be more interested in an organization like Mensa. One reason Daria doesn't socialize is because she finds most of her peers to be shallow and moronic. I think she might enjoy spending time with people more nearly like herself.

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I've never observed such a tendency. More commonly in my experience it's the people who aren't qualified who look down. Daria is familiar with that. I think she might be interested in being with some people she has something in common with. Clever people who don't carry the dreaded Ruttheimer gene. Initially she thought Grove Hills might be such a place, until Graham opened his mouth (I tend to attribute Graham's behavior as much to his upscale background as to IQ). It's certainly possible for people of superior ability to behave badly towards others but it seems that it's a whole lot more difficult to act haughty when you're a big fish among other big fish than when you're a big fish among a lot of small fish. Meeting other smart people teaches humility. Sort of like a.t.d.

R. K. Henry wrote in message news:[email]...

For the avoidance of doubt: I didn't mean any of my comments to imply any criticism of you for posting the info, Bob. I dare say some of our fellow atd habitu�s will appreciate the information, and may find their social life opening up a little as a result.

Perhaps the image of Mensa I've picked up is peculiar to the British branch, or has been filtered through the envy of those who don't qualify? They would, after all, form the larger part of those with an opinion about Mensa.

*Very* good point. But the danger of encountering a sense of *shared* superiority vis-a-vis non-members (rather than feeling superior to fellow-members) still causes me concern. I acknowledge that in your experience, you haven't met this in practice, and that's good to know.

Martin.