The Unofficial New Members’ Guide – an Intro to Mensa...

How Do You Handle Annoying Mensans?

Or you might decide that you like these people after all, that they can provoke a thought or a laugh. As the old saying goes, you won’t know if you like it until you try it. Duh...

Often a new member will spend the first hours of the first meeting waiting for something intellectual to happen. Sure, the conversation has been intelligent so far, except for the parts that were goofy, but none of the really great questions of philosophy, science and religion were even hinted at. Don’t smart people think about such things? Sure, but not all the time. You must remember that some of us have intellectual jobs and would rather give the brain a rest in the evening.

Remember also that Mensa is a social organisation and great questions can make for poor socialising.

Yet sometimes, in spite of ourselves, an intellectual conversation breaks out. The equipment is there and sometimes it gets used. The secret is to be there when it happens. If you go to some of our meetings, you can usually scare up a few people who enjoy intellectualism. Expect to put effort into finding these folks and, once you have found them, don’t expect them to always be in the mood. You’ll have better luck if you watch your regional newsletter calendar pages and go to meetings that interest you.

On the national level, the Mensa Magazine may publish a monthly column on Special Interest Groups. You can find a complete list of nationally recognised by writing to National Mensa. Some Mensans, of course, prefer not to “join in” with the activities; they enjoy just “belonging” and are, of course, most welcome to do just that. Good luck, and hopefully Mensa will have what it is you are looking for.