Comments for Adamus.nl

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Flattery Will Get You Nowhere | Memetic Diversity

Flattery Will Get You Nowhere | Memetic Diversity — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:33:10 +0000

[...] individual product is that bad, but they combine to make the store feel like Mensa. You’re already smart just for coming here, it says. Here are some things to help you train [...]

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Doc

Doc — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:16:22 +0000

Yes, especially when you realize that logic tests only measure your ability to pass logic tests — not intelligence. Intelligence is another thing.

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Adamus

Adamus — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:49:57 +0000

Thanks for your comments Doc. Yes the top 2 percentile sounds impressive, but in a country like the UK that means there’s potentially more than a million who qualify for Mensa membership. Suddenly it doesn’t seem so special anymore, does it..?

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Doc

Doc — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:30:15 +0000

By the way, Adamus, you nailed it in writing that Mensa is not as elitist as it might seem. Being in the 2% top percentile means that 1 in 50 is eligible to join; that’s not much. Compare, for instance, with the latest ESA astronaut selection, where a few were chosen amongst 6000 applicants.

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Doc

Doc — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:23:47 +0000

I had exactly the same feelings about Mensa.

I took the pre-test in my twenties and was told I passed it with flying colors. However, I was put off a bit when I saw that the Mensa chapter in my country (Italy) had an Astrology group…

For some time I thought I might be joining just because it could look good on my CV. Now, reading the comments, I’m glad I didn’t.

Thanks Adamus for this smart article, and thanks to all commenters for their smart remarks.

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Adamus

Adamus — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:57:03 +0000

Thanks for mentioning that article Duncan, I hadn’t read it yet (which as a Hitchens fan is utterly unforgivable of me). I might indeed have to quietly retire that mention of Mensa on my CV….

Comment on Mensa: A Critical Review by Duncan Gilchrist

Duncan Gilchrist — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:22:53 +0000

It doesn't improve your resumé one bit. I t does the reverse. See this Vanity Fair article from 1996, by Christopher Hitchens, on Mensa. It's very funny.