|
|
|
Is There Any Practical Value to the Mensa "Credential"?
|
Do we need a "license to think" in order to be taken seriously?
tldr: Apparently, yes
© John Erickson
We live in a credential-crazed society, where a man's statements are not evaluated by their merits but by the individual's accolades (or lack thereof).
Wisdom is acquired by those who are hungry for it; no course of study can impart it. Insight comes episodically to all men, and solutions crop up from the unlikeliest sources. The credential-hypnotized individual is powerless to assess the accuracy of another's insight - he can only express awe or disdain for the credentials possessed by the individual in question.
I've made insightful and useful observations in the past, but too often these were disregarded out of hand before those with whom I was speaking even considered what I'd said.
When my ideas were challenged, I would cite the known evidence, then explain that, beyond this, I believed their accuracy was self-evident. (What difference would it make if it were uttered by a parrot? A good idea stands on its own.) But that proved ineffective too much of the time. When pressed, I could mention my I.Q. score (which I felt to be an act of desperation, and certainly not proof in itself of the validity of my argument). But that seldom carried any weight; my perceptivity remained imperceptible to my interlocutors. No badge to certify my ability to reason, just my word; and the comment itself usually alienated others.
As most M's have observed, Mensa membership is something best kept to oneself as it can soundly nuke one's social life. More accurately, it should be handled like nitroglycerin: lightly and in small doses. When you sense that you're being marginalized within a particular social or professional forum, a casual side-reference to your membership can tweak your aura by a couple of lumens. Let a coworker "accidentally" see a Mensa email on your computer monitor or phone while conversing with them, for example. But even when done subtly one must be on guard for awkward reactions:
- "Seriously? YOU?"
- "Oh, you're into that. My neighbor's kid joined them. He's been in an asylum for the past three years."
- "Oh, you're into that. Y'mean you really didn't like being a dude?"
I am not fazed by my Mensa membership; I am aware of my shortcomings and strong points. But I've spent a lifetime being constantly frustrated by people who simply refuse to consider that, occasionally, I may actually know what I'm talking about. So, in this very practical, real-life context, membership is necessary leverage in my interactions with others who place a value on credentialed notoriety, titles and honors before considering my recommendations on the best way to screw-in a lightbulb.
HOME
|
|
|
