Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!unc!wfi From: wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Discussion about Mensa (flame) Message-ID: <205@unc.UUCP> Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 13:32:53 EST Article-I.D.: unc.205 Posted: Thu Dec 13 13:32:53 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 02:46:09 EST References: <1552@pur-phy.UUCP>, <7131@watrose.UUCP>, <174@unc.UUCP>, <5170@duke.UUCP> Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill Lines: 30 Charlie, I wasn't objecting to the personal motives of any individual who belongs to Mensa. Many of the Mensa members I've known have been fine and sensitive people who, as you suggest, joined solely to meet people with like interests. An organization can be composed primarily of fine, upstanding citizens and still be objectionable on philosophical, political, or other grounds. I personally dislike the aims of the Republican party intensely; that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the company and friendship of Republicans, does it? [or Democrats, for that matter; equal time, eh? :-)] My personal belief is that the organization Mensa by its very nature encourages elitism, but that doesn't mean it requires its members to be elitist. Whether or not many or most of its members join the organization for other reasons is irrelevant, and I don't presume to judge them for their decisions. You're right about the difficulty of meeting persons with shared interests, especially for those of us who are rapidly approaching our 'mid-life crises.' It's a fairly easy matter if you're living in a university town, but it can be near-impossible in many locales. I just don't think Mensa is an appropriate response to this problem. Personally, I would have no difficulty with joining a special-interest club or group based on an interest in literature, say, or astronomy. But most groups based on special interests that I'm acquainted with don't use some arbitrary measure of Quality X to determine membership. By the way, I think phrases like "egalitarian bigot" are counterproductive at best in discussions like this. But then I've always had a hard time getting into flaming for its own sake.