From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Mensa Frauds Exposed - reasons exposed
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 18:52:03 GMT

gmc@mlb.semi.harris.com  writes:
[a lot]

This threads a bit old, but I've been away for a while.  I've got 700+
articles to read in this group.  4000+ in others.  Still, I want to 
react to this.

First, I want to grant that the anonymous gmc raises one or two interesting 
points.  I'm going to give him/her the benefit of the doubt as to his/her
intentions.

>none of the above. My real agenda was not to pound on Mensa, but
>instead concerns something different, it goes to the question of
>what is Mensa and, more importantly, what -should- Mensa be?

It's a valid question, but there's only one realistic answer.  Mensa will
be what present and future members want it to be.  Any plotted purpose
for the group, no matter how noble, will fail if it doesn't serve the
desires of the members.  So gmc's question boils down to "what -should-
Mensa members be doing."  I suggest that every specific answer to this
question is a narrow-minded view of us members.

>Whether anyone admits it or not, Mensa is not respected.

Lots of good things are not respected.  Lots of good people are not
respected.  But it would be nice if Mensa were respected, I'll grant
that.  But what should it be respected for?  In the very narrowest
sense, the organization should be respected if it serves the interests
of its members in the way that its members want it to.  This leaves 
the separate the question of whether the members' interests should be
respected. 

>     I have felt for some time that Mensa members can be roughly
>categorized into one of two groups. 

People who categorize members into two groups, and people who dont.  :-)

>Group A consists of those people
>whose lives are centered around a test score, and joined for the ego
>stroking they believe an elite organization can give them. Group B
>are those people who joined for more nobler reasons as stated in the
>Mensa charter. 

That's overly narrow.  But I don't deny that both group A and B exist
within Mensa.  So do many other groups.  I think the biggest group is
group C: the ones who think Mensa provides some pleasant experiences
with some interesting people.

>     Is this important? I think so. I think there is a major need
>for some kind of advocacy/activist organization supporting intelligence.

[...]

>Yet. sadly, all some people expect from Mensa is to learn a new
>card game, or to talk about motorcycles, go to fun parties, etc.
>I think this is why Mensa seems so shallow and it's appeal is
>so small.

I guess gmc thinks that advocacy for intelligence and having fun with
intelligent people are mutually exclusive.  I disagree.  I think that
the very best thing Mensa can do to enhance the societal view of 
intelligent people is to demonstrate that in most respects there is 
little difference between Mensans and non-.

I don't view the 2% requirement as contradictory with this goal.  If the
test results weren't there, there would be no difference at all to point
to and say: "See.  Our intelligence exists, but it's just one dimension of
us."  To me, that's much stronger than "See.  We're interested in promoting 
intelligence, but that's just one dimension of us."

-rich


-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
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