September 9^th, 2008

So there's this list of benefits on the Mensa Canada website that being a Mensan ("an M") brings people. I must admit that I've enjoyed a few of them myself. It is probably bad form, but the best benefits for me have been:

• The boon to confidence & self-esteem (yes, smugly and horribly, I feel better about myself because I realise that those times when I wonder "is that all there is to this person?" I can now confidently answer, "yes; this person is a waste of my time."
• The prestige and exclusivity that comes from being top 2%. I mean, I can walk into a room full of 50 people and know with a reasonable certainty that only two or three others are in my intellectual league.
• The social and friendship benefits are incalculable. I mean, even when I disagree with the people in the Mensa discussion group I go to (the "Think Tank"), I enjoy the mental flexing of muscles without having to worry that my points won't get through to the other person—I mean, in those rare times that I will debate a hot issue like religion or politics, nothing is more frustrating than having to dumb down subtle ideas so friends will get them. Then, those folks argue back on their own limited terms, unaware that I've stupefied myself to make my ideas intelligible to them. I practically hand them the counter argument on a silver platter—it's not fair to me and too difficult to maintain such a "crouching" stance for long.

(Here's the whole list of benefits in case you are interested.)

But there is another item in their list that I have hitherto not taken advantage of: An edge in career prospects. I mean, it's a tough question to know whether or not to include the fact that I am an M on my résumé. You'd think that by doing so I would improve my chances at a job, but lots of people would look at that and think, "Hmm ... a smug wanker, probably thinks he's better than everyone else. Well I don't want him working for me!"

And non-Ms who are still reading my blog at this point probably would agree with that. "Geez, did you see what he wrote about his friends? What an arrogant SOB." And let's not forget those overly-self-conscious folks who trot out the "difference between book smart and street smart" horse. Yes, I know ... I see it myself. But am I supposed to make myself a little bit stupid just so normal people can feel less intimidated? Well, actually, maybe yes. At least if I want to keep some of those friends and get some of those jobs.

There's more that I don't want to talk about in my blog, but all this is relevant to a discussion I had earlier this week. Apparently, there are companies out there actively seeking Ms. But, as I said, I don't want to talk about it.

Actually, I don't even want to think about it.

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