Do You Mensa?
If you look up 'mensa' in the dictionary you get two or three varying definitions.
One is a table-top slab used in weird Roman Catholic rituals.
The second would be a faint constellation in the polar region of the southern hemisphere and containing part of the Large Megallanic Cloud. That would have been my first reaction, obviously.
And the third definition is an international organisation dedicated to passing a so-called 'IQ' test which basically offers the ultimate conclusion that you are good at passing IQ tests. What that says about you as a human being remains fuzzy.
But they generally feel it Means Something.
And this ad (below) is an incitation to join the Australian Mensa club.
I joined the British one once, a long time ago. Which obviously lays me open to accusations of a) partisanship, b) subtle showing off (if you still believe getting a high score in an IQ test has significance), c) deep-inset insecurity (if you don't).
The experience was... edifying. The best of times involved discussing with other Mensans why we would want to belong to such an embarrassingly elitist organisation. The worst of times involved pretentious dickheads who thought they were above everyone else. How wrong they were.
Anyway, here's the ad. I personally found it smile-inducingly funny, but wouldn't take that as evidence that I have an IQ of 150. I've always ridiculed the test as basically testing whether you are good at taking IQ tests. And after I had worked my way through an 'IQ test preparation' book my score instantaneously and miraculously improved by about 20 points.
Ain't self-centredness sweet?
Having said that, I'd love it if people got more of my jokes...
One is a table-top slab used in weird Roman Catholic rituals.
The second would be a faint constellation in the polar region of the southern hemisphere and containing part of the Large Megallanic Cloud. That would have been my first reaction, obviously.
And the third definition is an international organisation dedicated to passing a so-called 'IQ' test which basically offers the ultimate conclusion that you are good at passing IQ tests. What that says about you as a human being remains fuzzy.
But they generally feel it Means Something.
And this ad (below) is an incitation to join the Australian Mensa club.I joined the British one once, a long time ago. Which obviously lays me open to accusations of a) partisanship, b) subtle showing off (if you still believe getting a high score in an IQ test has significance), c) deep-inset insecurity (if you don't).
The experience was... edifying. The best of times involved discussing with other Mensans why we would want to belong to such an embarrassingly elitist organisation. The worst of times involved pretentious dickheads who thought they were above everyone else. How wrong they were.
Anyway, here's the ad. I personally found it smile-inducingly funny, but wouldn't take that as evidence that I have an IQ of 150. I've always ridiculed the test as basically testing whether you are good at taking IQ tests. And after I had worked my way through an 'IQ test preparation' book my score instantaneously and miraculously improved by about 20 points.
Ain't self-centredness sweet?
Having said that, I'd love it if people got more of my jokes...
DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!
|
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hotch Potch English: The SNAIL ~ 'Thoroughly Thoughtful'
Created & written by Sab Will
Copyright 2012 Sab Will / Hotch Potch English ~ The Unique English Language Website
_________________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment