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

Who Was That Strange Mensan I Saw You With Last Night?

Hopefully  somebody has already told you that Mensans are not as you would expect them to be. They’re not! Most Mensans are not eggheads, but some are. Most Mensans have a normal social life, except for the ones who haven’t been out of their rooms in 20 years. Mensans are usually bright, just not in every area. Just what is a typical Mensan like? Who knows...You can be with your local group for quite a few years and still not figure it out. But expect something bigger than life. Even the shy ones have bigger-than-life shyness.

Mensa’s inexplicability is easily explained. A sociologist might refer to our group as a self-atomising association. This means that individuality is encouraged and highly prized. Sayings like “Don’t rock the boat” and “Follow the leader” might as well be in a foreign language for all the good they do us. This makes Mensa fun to be in, but hard to describe. The expression “herding cats” frequently comes to mind! However, preparing you for the eccentricities of Mensans is the purpose of this guide . . .

Remember that phrase "a self-atomising association"? Some Mensans take their individuality to an extreme. Their heads are filled with strange ideas and their lives filled with strange hobbies. Many are this way simply because they want interesting lives, but some are really on the cutting edge of the bell curve. Even allowing for those who are only  pleasantly eccentric, that still leaves a small handful of annoying people.

 

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