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Match.com, Mensa Create Dating Site For Geniuses
mpicpp writes in with news about a new dating opportunity for Mensa members. It takes a special person to join Mensa. For one, the elite society only takes individuals with IQ scores in the 98th percentile, meaning just 1 in 50 Americans is eligible. This exclusivity — some might say snobbery — is part of Mensa's lore. Early Mensans in Britain walked around with yellow buttons, organizational publications once referred to non-Mensa members as "Densans," and last year, a top Mensa member and tester called anyone with an IQ of 60 a "carrot." In short, you don't always join Mensa because you think you're smart. You join to be set apart from most people, who are, as one member put it: "mundane." But a new partnership between American Mensa and online dating giant Match.com offers a new, enticing reason to join the society of geniuses: true love. Beginning this week, members of the brainiac group can connect through a separate, exclusive dating service called Mensa Match. In addition, Match.com members can add a special Mensa badge to their profiles, signaling a specific interest in connecting with a single person with a confirmed genius-level IQ score.
You insulted my carrot sir!
Match.com's press release includes a hilarious "heat map listing where the smartest singles live," by mapping where Ivy League grads live. Apparently graduates of Stanford, U Chicago, CalTech, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, etc. aren't as smart. More likely, they're just not as rich and historically connected to Daddy's alma mater. http://blog.match.com/wp-conte...
Before someone asks, yes, I am "Mensa material". I do IQ tests as a pastime. It's fun to watch shrinks stare in awe. So I could join them. As could, I'm certain, most people around here. Being in the 2% bracket isn't THAT difficult when you look at it. There are actually clubs out there with far tighter joining criteria. Also not really something I'd consider joining.
I mean, let's be honest, why should I? Yes, it's fun to have a discussion with people who can think beyond next breakfast but it's no fun having them with people who consider themselves so "smart" and aloof to join a club that selects its members by intelligence. I mean, imagine you're good looking, would you want to join a club that only lets beautiful people join? Ponder what kind of self absorbed, shallow cunts such criteria attract. And then ponder whether you want to be part of that.
And even more, ponder whether you want to spend at least part of your life with someone like that. And now let's imagine the worst case, just think that kids would be the results of such a union. What kind of person do you think such a child would become? Either you'll have a completely broken person who snapped under the pressure of being the expected "pinnacle of intelligence", or you get the ultimate self-absorbed asshole, or a combination of both.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I used to be in Mensa back in the 80s. When people found out I was in Mensa, they'd frequently express some surprise because they thought Mensans were a bunch of jerks because they'd met somebody who said he was in Mensa and who was very obnoxious, making himself out to be superior. I was surprised because most of the people I met in Mensa weren't like that. I remember throwing a party and invited people from my job and friends from Mensa, and the people from work commented later about how the Mensans at the party were down to earth regular folks and not at all like what they'd expected. I suspect that the jerks giving Mensa a bad rep don't actually go to Mensa events because what they want to do is brag and try to impress people but they can't do that if everybody else is a Mensan. But these same jerks are the ones making the most noise everywhere else and getting noticed. I will admit there are probably more nerdy, asperger's syndrome types in Mensa than the general population, but it's not that bad.
You know what was an exaggerated but based somewhat on truth depiction of Mensa? The one done in a Simpson's episode with Stephen Hawking as guest voice at the end.
"I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees. There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' oh so very special about a firm, young carrot."
Reality is politically incorrect, thus observation is unethical.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
Me too! But in 2000.
I went to a few gatherings and it was mostly fat libertarian dudes.
Then I realized only a fuckhead would join mensa for intellectual validation.
Then I realized I was one of those fuckheads and promptly re-examined my life.
I joined the triple nine society and am much happier. /s
I'm smart, maybe not mensa smart (don't really care either way) but fuck hanging out with other aholes like me!
OP is a bit snobbish itself.
People (by and large... certainly there are exceptions) join MENSA so that they can converse with other people with similar mental character and interests. Just exactly how some people join motorcycle clubs because they like motorcycles and want to discuss them and appreciate them with people of similar interest, someone might join MENSA because they like talking about physics -- or even crossword puzzles -- with people who are like themselves.
There is no need to try to suggest that is "snobbery" of any kind. Would you call a motorcycle gang "snobs"? Or stamp collectors? MENSA is a social club, nothing more.
And by the way, a bit of history: MENSA members did sometimes wear small yellow pins, like tie tacks but about 1/8" diameter, like those little pins you stick in maps -- not badges -- simply so that they could find each other in a crowd. It wasn't snobbery, it was subtle (very subtle) identification. The reason was because more obvious identification made them targets of violence for bigots and other idiots.
If I wanted to join a motorcycle club or a stamp collector club I'd be welcomed without any qualification. My interest would be enough. They'd be delighted to tell me about their bikes or stamps and encourage me to learn more. They'd probably be a little surprised if I didn't have a bike or a stamp collection, but they'd encourage me to get one and not look down their nose at me if I didn't have one.
so that they can converse with other people with similar mental character and interests
It's a fair point, but what exactly is being shared? Having a shared high IQ is no guarantee at all of the shared or compatible interests, personality, life aims or values. All the kind of stuff that helps in a social club, and relationship most definitely needs.
The only thing they have in common is an interest in knowing how smart they, and other people are, by one particular yardstick. As interest go, that's pretty shallow.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the study revealed NO CORRELATION.
There is a high correlation of 0.90 to 0.95 between the prestige rankings of occupations, as rated by the general population, and the average general intelligence scores of people employed in each occupation. [1]
The correlation between income and IQ scores is 0.40. The correlation is higher at higher levels of education and it increases with age, stabilizing when people reach their highest career potential in middle age. Even when education, occupation and socioeconomic background are held constant, the correlation does not vanish. [2]
Your move.
[1] Schmidt, F., & Hunter, J. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational
attainment and job performance.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
[2] Jensen, A. R. (1998). The g factor.
. Westport, CT: Praeger
> Though it's arguable how useful an IQ test is. It's a poor metric of intelligence, it's just commonly used because all the other suggestions are worse.
I agree, One time in line at a grocery store one man remarked about how it was stupid they had "retards"[sic] working there. I told him "You can learn from anybody, even this so-called 'retard.' for example, notice he is treating everybody with respect. You know, come to think of it, I never met anyone with Down's syndrome who is a nasty and judgmental prick like you. Maybe we can all take a lesson and learn to treat others nicely."
Besides, he was doing a great job and was taking pride in his work. What's to judge? What if that asshole were in the position of being mentally challenged - I'd love to see him wear those shoes for a day.
What good is intelligence if all one ends up doing is thinking they're better than everyone and treat others like shit?
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
the study revealed NO CORRELATION.
Zippo. Nada. None. Zilch.
Most studies have found an IQ to income correlation of 0.4 to 0.5. That is not particularly strong, but it isn't zero. The correlation is weaker for people with very high IQs. Someone with an IQ of 100 (normal) will earn much more than someone at 60 (mildly retarded). Someone with an IQ of 120 will do significantly better than someone at 100. But someone with an IQ of 160 (genius) will do little better than someone at 120, on average.
That is why hanging out with mensa people drove me crazy, not only are they arm-chair everything but their organization encourages their belief that they understand things they do not and non-members don:t.
We're discussing high intelligence and you admit to believing what an advert says?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."