Mensa membership letter

[MoJo]

Let's see - - - I pay a group of eggheads to tell me how smart I am? How smart is that?

[OldSchool]

Let's see - - - I pay a group of eggheads to tell me how smart I am? How smart is that?

If facetious, I appreciate the humour!

If serious, note that "smart" has too many definitions to pin down.

Relating to IQ, here's the typical story:
A child has trouble interacting with peers, and is always daydreaming. Teachers classify the child as "slow" because they never seem to pay attention, get poor grades, and other children classify the child as "retarded" and make sure to tell him/her as much. The child begins to build a "shell" due to a feeling of unworthiness and non-acceptance.

Fast-forward some number of years: The person (could be young, middle-aged, or even older -- consider a lifetime of living this way) wants to find out just how "slow" they are, and undergo some testing; alternatively, if they're lucky and took the SAT before they were changed in 1984, can use that as a proxy for a special test. Behold, the person who was always tagged as "slow" and "retarded" is actually well above genius level.

Reason: A child with very high IQ matures (mentally) faster than their peers, and thus are considered unable to interact for any number of other reasons. For example, an IQ of 150 means a child of 10 thinks at roughly the level of a 15-year-old. (And, no, the numbers are not exact, and there is a range of error, as in everything.) They read, write, and philosophize earlier than others of their age. These children require constant challenge.

Teachers are reluctant to tag any child as "gifted" simply because every parent thinks their child is "gifted" and needs special treatment (it doesn't do the parent's ego any harm, either). Parents with truly gifted children (and I believe it's heredity + environment) won't be as quick to jump on that bandwagon, but rather prefer to help the children learn to interact -- but it isn't easy, since peers can't understand why this person talks and thinks differently, so "there must be something wrong with him/her."

The testing helps one to understand the problem (many call it an "affliction").

Sorry to be long-winded -- this is just the introductory course.

Does this help?

[MoJo]

It was tongue in cheek, like Groucho or Sam Clemens or whomever - - - I don't want to be a member of any group that will have me as a member.

[OldSchool]

It was tongue in cheek, like Groucho or Sam Clemens or whomever - - - I don't want to be a member of any group that will have me as a member.

Sorry, you're a member of this one -- and it's too late to leave!!

[srothstein]

Nothing encourages genius like ambitious laziness.

Heinlein wrote a story about it in Time Enough for Love (IIRC): "The man who was too lazy to fail". It was an amazing analysis that shows this could be a very true statement.

[OldSchool]

Nothing encourages genius like ambitious laziness.

Heinlein wrote a story about it in Time Enough for Love (IIRC): "The man who was too lazy to fail". It was an amazing analysis that shows this could be a very true statement.

There's an old saying popular among Mathematicians: "The best Mathematicians are lazy." Translation: Mathematics is all about strategies, and the best strategies are the simplest ones.
I've personally extended it to Physicists and Computer Programmers....

[cbr600]

There's an old saying attributed to a General von Manstein, regarding officers.

First there the lazy, stupid ones. Leave them alone. They do no harm.
Second, there are the hard working intelligent ones. They make excellent staff officers, ensuring that every detail is properly considered.
Third, there are the hard working stupid ones. These people are a menace and must be fired at once. They create irrelevant work for everybody.
Finally, there are the intelligent lazy ones. They are suited for the highest office.

[sailor2000]

Response received:

"Hi Doug,

Thank you for responding to my email. I am sorry to hear that a sign on the door has kept you from enjoying fellowship with other Mensans. We have a lot to offer our Members, including, but not limited to, a number of special interest groups as well as our Online Community. We also have various gatherings through out the year. By the way, the above mentioned sign was removed years ago. So, I hope that you will reinstate your membership and participate in activities. http://www.us.mensa.org/renew" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very best wishes to you,
Rosa"


Is there a forum member in the Arlington area who can go by the office and verify? The address is : American Mensa, Ltd., 1229 Corporate Drive West, Arlington, TX 76006-6103

Thanks

[Purplehood]

They put me at 135 in junior high school and wanted me in accelerated classes but I was too lazy so I declined. Military had me at 145 but I question their testing methods. I have met a lot of high IQ folk who couldn't change their own spare tire so not too impressed with the numbers game.

You may or may not be surprised at just how accurate the ASVAB test was...not sure if they still use it anymore. I was a Recruiter for 3 years and found that it is does an extremely thorough evaluation of ones abilities and is an excellent indicator of IQ.

[Kythas]

They put me at 135 in junior high school and wanted me in accelerated classes but I was too lazy so I declined. Military had me at 145 but I question their testing methods. I have met a lot of high IQ folk who couldn't change their own spare tire so not too impressed with the numbers game.

You may or may not be surprised at just how accurate the ASVAB test was...not sure if they still use it anymore. I was a Recruiter for 3 years and found that it is does an extremely thorough evaluation of ones abilities and is an excellent indicator of IQ.

Purplehood,

Since you're a former recruiter, do you know if it's possible for me to get a copy of my ASVAB score? I took it in 1987.

[Thomas]

They put me at 135 in junior high school and wanted me in accelerated classes but I was too lazy so I declined. Military had me at 145 but I question their testing methods. I have met a lot of high IQ folk who couldn't change their own spare tire so not too impressed with the numbers game.

You may or may not be surprised at just how accurate the ASVAB test was...not sure if they still use it anymore. I was a Recruiter for 3 years and found that it is does an extremely thorough evaluation of ones abilities and is an excellent indicator of IQ.

Purplehood,

Since you're a former recruiter, do you know if it's possible for me to get a copy of my ASVAB score? I took it in 1987.

I would like my ASVAB score too (taken within the past 5 years), but I think they only keep the score for a couple of years.

Though if he is "not sure if they still use it anymore", he may not be able to access the scores even if they are still kept.

[tallmike]

I think if you order a copy of your 201 file (personnel file) the scores are in there.

I know my scores were in my 201 file, but Im not sure if you order a copy if they would all still be there.

[Purplehood]

If I remember correctly the ASVAB scores are a part of your original enlistment contract. Unless they were burned/destroyed in the fire that hit St Louis a number of years back, they should be in your National Records file.

This assumes that you took the ASVAB and subsequently enlisted. Many folks just took the test at their High School.

[steve817]

How does ASVAB relate to IQ? I'm curious because when I took it I scored 67% and was extremely embarrassed. The recruiter then told me that it was a very good score.

[Kythas]

I found the following email address where you can request a copy of your ASVAB score. I emailed them this morning and they've already replied, saying there's a good chance they have my ASVAB (I took it in 1987) but they need my phone number to call me for more information.

The email address is official-asvab@osd.pentagon.mil

Now to get a copy of my ACT....