NationStates Jolt Archive

In the Pretension thread the topic of IQ equating to intelligence came up, which naturally (natural for me) led to me sifting through the list of high IQ societies.

In case you aren't familiar with them, high IQ societies are places (usually online) where people whose official IQ, as tested and measured by specific tests administered by certified people, fall in a very narrow range. MENSA is the most well-known but one of the least-discriminating of these organizations. As far as I can see, there's no real purpose to these societies other than to bring together unusually bright people so they can talk about things the lowly mortals wouldn't understand, and to congratulate each other on being brilliant.

So, which of these completely useless and pretentious societies would YOU qualify for? Poll to follow.



If you haven't been formally tested (relatively few people have, unless they were tested for a learning disability like I was), you've probably taken a few thousand online tests anyway. Those can be incredibly unreliable (my score has fluctuated by about 30 points, and I wasn't stoned any of those times), but there are a few more reputable ones out there. Try to find an average and go with it.

For those U.S. Americans among us, your SAT I score can roughly translate into your IQ if you drop the zero at the end: for example, an SAT I score of 1000 is the average and indicates an IQ of 100, also the average; a score of 1300 indicates an IQ of 130. Of course, this only works if 1) you took the SAT I when it was only made up of two 800-points tests, math and English, and 2) you're good at standardized testing and actually gave a fuck when you were taking it.

I went to a UC and got a graduate degree without ever taking the SAT...hahahaha, eat it, suckers!

I would belong to the one that let me make up the number because I've never measured my IQ. Or my penis. They both are what they are.

Flat Earth Society.

Eh, I've only taken one and it was a while ago on some rubbish website, however it wasn't too bad if I remember correctly.

Also, I personally find the idea of MENSA and other organisations retarded. If you're interested in the topics discussed there to an extent where you would actually join a society to talk with like minded individuals on such topics, you're more then likely to be appropriately competent, and there's no need to discriminate based on IQ.

I got an IQ test in Kindergarten; it was enough to get me into an advanced program. I have no clue what it is now, but it's definitely much lower.

I went to a UC and got a graduate degree without ever taking the SAT...hahahaha, eat it, suckers!

I would belong to the one that let me make up the number because I've never measured my IQ. Or my penis. They both are what they are.

You got in without the SATs?? Lucky bastard.

I'm in MENSA, we rarely talk about how bright we are. We do get together often and do quirky things that most people wouldn't do, like attempt to (and succeed at) breaking the world record for the most hugs.

We go on trips together and have a book club, and we volunteer for charity together. We do fund raisers and give scholarships to local students and sell our old books and donate the money to local libraries.

We have game nights and we gather up kids from the gifted kids programs at schools and do activities. Often we just go to each other's houses and watch movies and eat.

It's a social club. It's probably not really important for people in other areas to congregate with other genius level people, but in my area I encounter a rather large amount of idiot, so it's nice to hang out with people who don't make me want to go on a shooting rampage.

I'm unsure if I will qualify for Triple 9, but one of my daughter's does, she is uninterested in the group though because there are so few child members.

Flat Earth Society.

I don't think you can have negative IQ points... ;)

I've once taken an IQ test that put my IQ as 172.
And another one has put it as 53.
These are some of the many.

Guess I qualify for all at once, but also for all low-IQ ones, right?

Typos in polls always come back to bite me. *sigh*

im pretty sure that my icq used to be about 140.

i dont know whether or not they grade you on a curve as you get older but if they DONT ..... well, im just not as quick as i used to be.

I have absolutely no idea what my IQ is.

My IQ last time it was measured was just under 100 (on the meaningless internet tests I get 120, of course). And yet I got all A*s at GCSE, all A at A-level, and if I repeat my performance thus far in my last year of University, I'll get a first. To be honest, I have much disdain for any elitist group based on the meaningless concept of IQ.

You got in without the SATs?? Lucky bastard.

Sure, all you have to do is have an instructor go to bat for you, pull strings to get you into the local college based on your sax playing and then not be able to pay for it, fall out of academia for a few years, be homeless twice, be lucky enough to score a job where you can do homework so you can do two jobs and go to school while you live in a residency hotel which is literally just a bed and a dresser and two catastrophic drunks, spend too much time at a community college because when you took your class plan and goal to the counselor to check if it would work they didn't look at it and just said "Yeah, sure, fine" neglecting to point out the only solid requirement wasn't on it, win a few collegiate nominations for your work (but not on the saxophone which up until that point you had been dedicating your life to but never got as far as you did half assing the new thing you're doing) competing against the four year colleges you're trying to get into, and SCORE! You're in without taking the SATs. Easy.

I don't think you can have negative IQ points... ;)
The most impressive thing is, Flat Earth believers do exist, and there are serious theories and discussions.

Welcome!
http://theflatearthsociety.net/forum/index.php?board=3.0

They let everybody in, as long as your IQ>120 and you're open-minded.

The most impressive thing is, Flat Earth believers do exist.

Welcome!
http://theflatearthsociety.net/forum/index.php?board=3.0

They let everybody in, as long as your IQ>120.

Yeah I posted a thread on them once. I've read about them a bit, and there are some claiming that it's a very elaborate hoax designed to test debating skills (to see how well people can defend the indefensible).

I was going to mark Colloquy, but I decided I liked Ryadn need more to do with her time worked better.

Haha, I love being able to vote for whatever I want.

Yeah I posted a thread on them once. I've read about them a bit, and there are some claiming that it's a very elaborate hoax designed to test debating skills (to see how well people can defend the indefensible).
Well, it's not indefensible, and most people are pretty serious. There's no proof that the Earth is round, except for the doctored NASA images, easily faked with a fish-eye lens, and some visual impressions.

On the other hand, there's a lot of proof that the Earth is flat, such as large triangles having their angles sum up to 180 degrees, so-called curvature not matching the sphere model, and evidence of a NASA conspiracy to troll the world with the idea of a ball-shaped planet.

It's not so simple, see for yourself.


[ There's also another, bigger FES, at www.theflatearthsociety.org, but it's less newcomer-friendly and currently offline. ]

Sure, all you have to do is have an instructor go to bat for you, pull strings to get you into the local college based on your sax playing and then not be able to pay for it, fall out of academia for a few years, be homeless twice, be lucky enough to score a job where you can do homework so you can do two jobs and go to school while you live in a residency hotel which is literally just a bed and a dresser and two catastrophic drunks, spend too much time at a community college because when you took your class plan and goal to the counselor to check if it would work they didn't look at it and just said "Yeah, sure, fine" neglecting to point out the only solid requirement wasn't on it, win a few collegiate nominations for your work (but not on the saxophone which up until that point you had been dedicating your life to but never got as far as you did half assing the new thing you're doing) competing against the four year colleges you're trying to get into, and SCORE! You're in without taking the SATs. Easy.

Smart ass.

Did you live at the Inn? I'm remembering vague nights crashing drunkenly there. I'm remembering generally scuzziness.

My counselor at UC screwed me just as bad. I went to her about a class I wanted to get into but couldn't, she said she'd let me know if a spot opened up. I come to find halfway through the quarter that without my knowledge she's dropped me from the class I'm taking and enrolled me in the class I'd wanted FIVE WEEKS earlier. Had to withdraw and use my precious strike-it-from-the-record on that one. Sigh.

Your plan sounds a lot like my ex's. The six year, flunk out of a quarter 'cause it's spring at the beach, take a year off to work and raise younger family members, plan. Sucks. But hey, you made it, good on you.

The most impressive thing is, Flat Earth believers do exist, and there are serious theories and discussions.

Welcome!
http://theflatearthsociety.net/forum/index.php?board=3.0

They let everybody in, as long as your IQ>120 and you're open-minded.

I'm kind of speechless.

Yeah I posted a thread on them once. I've read about them a bit, and there are some claiming that it's a very elaborate hoax designed to test debating skills (to see how well people can defend the indefensible).

That's a much nicer thing to believe than the alternative.

I was going to mark Colloquy, but I decided I liked Ryadn need more to do with her time worked better.

You're all against me. :(

Using the SATs as a rough measure, I'm just barely in the door of Colloquy, so I guess that means I have a mediocre-genius brain. Not quite super-genius, but better than those lite-geniuses at Mensa.

don't know, don't care.

I have a large I.Q. and an even larger penis. So I am quite happy.:tongue:

I have a large I.Q. and an even larger penis. So I am quite happy.:tongue:

Those who boast about high IQ tend to be massive dicks. So that seems logical:p

People are talking about the IQ scores they received from a multitude of varieties of tests. These will all probably use a different kind of IQ; I think we're working on the one Mensa uses (the one used for me when I did my IQ test).

I am a member of Mensa, but from your poll, it seems I could be a member of "Prometheus", or whatever that is xD. No seriously, I haven't heard of any of the above, other than Mensa.

I would discourage those who believe Mensa to be an elitist (or pretentious) society from thinking so. It's simply a group you can interact with where you can make a point without having to explain every goddam word; where you're understood.

Another factor in Mensa's appeal is the fact that in Britain (and probably in the U.S.A., but I wouldn't know) intellectuals are shunned and made fun of in a lot of circles, especially lower academic ones, oddly enough. The prejudice you may suffer everyday of your life is negated when you can go to a Mensa meeting and have a pint and a good chat about whatever you wish.

Plus, Mensa has a number of sub-societies, individually called a "SIG", standing for "Special Interest Group". These each release a reader-written publication on the "special interest" in question, and these are often reason alone to join Mensa.

So yeah, that's pretty much it. We're not the Illuminati or anything (lol), we're just a group of like-minded individuals. There certainly are some Mensans who think they're God's gift to humanity, but they are often the spoilt brats who were entered at two years old or something.

What's interesting is...

MENSA (IQ range 130-132, 98th percentile)
0 0%

Top One Percent (IQ range 130=5-137, 99th percentile
0 0%

Colloquy (IQ range 139-141, 99.5th percentile)
Santheres 1 5.56%

ePiq (IQ range 143-146, 99.8th percentile)
Galloism, Ryadn 2 11.11%

Triple 9 (IQ range 146-149, 99.9th percentile)
Belschaft, Bouitazia 2 11.11%

sinApsa (IQ range 150-153, 99.95th percentile)
0 0%

Prometheus (IQ range 160-164, 99.997th percentile)
Hydesland, Solyhniya 2 11.11%

...that on the Internet, the IQ distribution curve is the exact opposite of that IRL!
Instead of there being fewer people in the over-99.997% than in over-98% group, on the Internet it turns around, and the fewer members are in a group, the more frequent they are in the Internet.

Instead of there being fewer people in the over-99.997% than in over-98% group, on the Internet it turns around, and the fewer members are in a group, the more frequent they are in the Internet.

Although I actually lied in the poll .... because I can. :tongue:

I don't need IQ tests to know that I'm smarter than everyone else. :)

Uh, borderline top 1 percent. I'd get into Mensa pretty comfortably.

When my IQ was formally tested in kindergarten it was 132. But going by SAT scores mine should by higher, so maybe my intelligence increased as I grew older or maybe I'm just good at standardized tests... 2240 total, so take away the writing (but I'm good at writing :(, 790) and that's 1450, so 145 if that's actually an accurate way of finding it. I don't know if it is or not, or if it really would increase over time. They're giving me lots of scholarship money though, enough to cover pretty much everything, for National Merit and that's probably more important than a number anyway.

I awnsered honestly. Whats the point of lieing on this, unless your really stupid?

I awnsered honestly. Whats the point of lieing on this, unless your really stupid?

Because there's no "I wouldn't get into any of them" option. Its only fair that those who can't answer the poll honestly can randomly choose one of the poll options, for inclusion's sake:p

I actually have no idea what my IQ is since it hasn't been formerly tested (and having studied in depth the theory behind IQ tests, I would wonder how valid any testing of it could currently be).

On the other hand, I have had straight As at A-Level, a 1st class degree, a distinction on my Masters and I'm currently doing a PhD, so I can guess I'd probably qualify for at least MENSA.

Tbh, although I get the principle for these societies, IQ is unfortunately a relatively poor method of measuring cognitive ability, not least because it can come in multiple forms, so all IQ really gives you is a rough (and somewhat culture dependant) estimate.

Flat Earth Society.

Hahaha!!

/threadwin

But going by SAT scores mine should by higher

I'm not sure if the SAT measures anything reliably... but certainly it can't be trusted as an gauge of intelligence.

None of the above! Just around the Mensa level, in fact; last time I was tested I scored 130.

I can't say I ever wanted to join any of them, though...I never want to join a group whose entry requirements hinge on mentally rearranging polygons.

if 1) you took the SAT I when it was only made up of two 800-points tests, math and English, and 2) you're good at standardized testing and actually gave a fuck when you were taking it.
... THIS.
A lot of people gave offers, and none of them were attractive enough. That's the easiest way i can put it.

I tried this one, and got 112. Not bad, I suppose.

http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf

Careful, it's forty minutes long.

I never want to join a group whose entry requirements hinge on mentally rearranging polygons.

Sigged.

Sigged.Do siggable lines factor in as IQ credit?
... if so, i owe a lot to a lot of other people.

Lemme explain how Internet works:


http://www.freewebs.com/vault_10/GENIUS.png

Lemme explain how Internet works:


http://www.freewebs.com/vault_10/GENIUS.png

More or less. Although I am one of those people who generally goes, "Wait, you mean s/he LIED on the INTERNET?" I take many things with a grain of salt, but I've never understood people who construct complex fake lives for the internet or lie about regular things. I either embrace the lame parts of myself or avoid mentioning them. :D

... THIS.
A lot of people gave offers, and none of them were attractive enough. That's the easiest way i can put it.

I took it twice and got smarter! :P To be fair, I make a lot of stupid mistakes from inattention, and my performance on any test can vary wildly depending on that. My second SAT I score is the same as my "official" IQ as tested, so it's at least coincidentally right.

My ex, on the other hand, did very well on the SATs the first time and then bombed the second time because he got bored halfway through, started picking randomly, and then left before he finished. :p

When my IQ was formally tested in kindergarten it was 132. But going by SAT scores mine should by higher, so maybe my intelligence increased as I grew older or maybe I'm just good at standardized tests... 2240 total, so take away the writing (but I'm good at writing :(, 790) and that's 1450, so 145 if that's actually an accurate way of finding it. I don't know if it is or not, or if it really would increase over time. They're giving me lots of scholarship money though, enough to cover pretty much everything, for National Merit and that's probably more important than a number anyway.

I scored 1450 on my SAT I and 800 on the SAT II writing, and all I got was a "good job!" and $1000 for National Merit consideration. Obviously they like you a lot more than me. :(

I took it twice and got smarter! :P To be fair, I make a lot of stupid mistakes from inattention, and my performance on any test can vary wildly depending on that. My second SAT I score is the same as my "official" IQ as tested, so it's at least coincidentally right.

My ex, on the other hand, did very well on the SATs the first time and then bombed the second time because he got bored halfway through, started picking randomly, and then left before he finished. :pI understand the boredom thing, but i actually was quite charged afterwards and during ... even though a lot of other people were thinking of the things they got wrong or how they didn't feel they were prepared enough.
And yup, i have no idea how i would do now, as compared to when i knew less but was more prepared. I'm pretty sure my IQ is fairly fluid. Especially given my current circumstances. :p

The Illuminati

The Illuminati
Weishaupt is a great great uncle of mine.

... THIS.
A lot of people gave offers, and none of them were attractive enough. That's the easiest way i can put it.

What kinds of offers?

Notice how everyone is too smart to be in MENSA?

Smart ass.
Sorry. Sort of...Actually, all you have to do is do your lower division work at a community college. And I think be older when you go through. Maybe.

Did you live at the Inn? I'm remembering vague nights crashing drunkenly there. I'm remembering generally scuzziness.
No, it was an extra scuzzy one in south Fremont that was home to some spectacular drunks who never managed to be like Peter O'Toole or Charles Bukowski. This was when I was able to go back to college after my second homeless bought, which pissed me off enough that even if the degree I was going to get was silly I at least thought if I had it I wouldn't have to be homeless again. (little did I know...)

While at UCSC I lived in Kresge East and Graduate Student Housing. Full apartments, rock on.

My counselor at UC screwed me just as bad. I went to her about a class I wanted to get into but couldn't, she said she'd let me know if a spot opened up. I come to find halfway through the quarter that without my knowledge she's dropped me from the class I'm taking and enrolled me in the class I'd wanted FIVE WEEKS earlier. Had to withdraw and use my precious strike-it-from-the-record on that one. Sigh.
Mine was a community college adviser. The production concentration in film had this thing where you had to apply for classes and you didn't know if you got in until after the quarter started, so you had to sign up for junk classes to get your financial aid. I of course didn't quite get this initially and had to use my one and only, only to find out later that a class I never attended was on there from my first hectic quarter, so I have an unremovable F on my record for a class I didn't know I was still signed in for. I don't remember even signing up for it, so that sucks.

Your plan sounds a lot like my ex's. The six year, flunk out of a quarter 'cause it's spring at the beach, take a year off to work and raise younger family members, plan. Sucks. But hey, you made it, good on you.
Yeah, at the time slacking seemed like an awesome idea. I still like it, really. Just time has this irritating habit of moving on.

Notice how everyone is too smart to be in MENSA?

I'm too smart to be in MENSA, however it's the most active local group.

I'm impressed by how "intelligent" the general populous of general is though. By impressed of course I actually mean amused.

I didn't vote in the poll because it's badly formed.

I'm too smart to be in MENSA, however it's the most active local group.

I'm impressed by how "intelligent" the general populous of general is though. By impressed of course I actually mean amused.

I didn't vote in the poll because it's badly formed.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the denizens of an internet forum devoted to politics to be slightly brighter than average, however I do think that shockingly bad internet IQ tests are making their presence felt.

Or I could just be seeing the best in people and everyone is just flat out lying.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the denizens of an internet forum devoted to politics to be slightly brighter than average, however I do think that shockingly bad internet IQ tests are making their presence felt.

Or I could just be seeing the best in people and everyone is just flat out lying.

Oh, I fully believe this self selecting group could on average be above the mean, however I refuse to believe that this many genius level IQs are concentrated on a forum where the idiocy is so abundant. I'm not going to name names, but I will direct you to the public poll.

The Mile High Club.

:cool:

Edit: I don't discuss my IQ. When I was young, my mother refused to tell me. I had no idea what it was until my eighth grade social studies teacher let it slip and boy was my mom pissed! Later when I was in college, I got it tested on my own. As I have matured( *snicker* BWAAA Hahahahaha!!! ), I've come to understand the wisdom of my mom's decision. I don't intend to tell my children their IQs either.

My IQ is 146 last time I took an IQ test. Yay!

I didn't vote in the poll because it's badly formed.

Well, it was supposed to be light-hearted... :(:(

Notice how everyone is too smart to be in MENSA?

Probably because MENSA is too well-known. I blame the 15 different "high IQ" groups that overlap each other. Because the difference between the 99.5th percentile and the 99.7th percentile is just that important on a test where your score could change depending on whether or not it's raining.

I'm too smart to be in MENSA, however it's the most active local group.

I'm impressed by how "intelligent" the general populous of general is though. By impressed of course I actually mean amused.

Amused is good. :)

Well, it was supposed to be light-hearted... :(:(
Calling me and my friends pretentious is far from light hearted.



Probably because MENSA is too well-known. I blame the 15 different "high IQ" groups that overlap each other. Because the difference between the 99.5th percentile and the 99.7th percentile is just that important on a test where your score could change depending on whether or not it's raining.

Most high IQ groups are offshoots of other high IQ groups. I would assume that "our group only takes 99.97" is a sneaky way of saying "well, he only got 99.96 and we don't like him, so we'll start our own club and he's not invited".

There is a vast difference between 98% and 99% though. :cool:

Aren't these societies generally rip-offs anyways?

...also, I spend all day interacting with people either in the process of earning graduate degrees in astronomy and physics or who have already earned them. They're not all geniuses, but at least I have something in common with them.

Aren't these societies generally rip-offs anyways?

...also, I spend all day interacting with people either in the process of earning graduate degrees in astronomy and physics or who have already earned them. They're not all geniuses, but at least I have something in common with them.
only if you dont get in.

only if you dont get in.
Maybe... do they essentially give people IQ tests to determine if they can join though, you can generally study for those and drive up your IQ score without really getting smarter, just learning to do some silly questions faster.

Maybe... do they essentially give people IQ tests to determine if they can join though, you can generally study for those and drive up your IQ score without really getting smarter, just learning to do some silly questions faster.
i have no idea. i assume that it, like all iq tests, are slanted toward those who are really good at taking tests.

personally i cant imagine wanting to join a club so much that id take a test to get in.

Maybe... do they essentially give people IQ tests to determine if they can join though, you can generally study for those and drive up your IQ score without really getting smarter, just learning to do some silly questions faster.

They prefer if you submit test scores. I submitted my SAT to get into MENSA.

There is something to be said about IQ not being testable, and that most of the people in MENSA are good at visual spatial reasoning and probably got in by being good at the test. There are multiple types of intelligence, not all of them are testable or translate well into scoring. Not getting into MENSA doesn't mean you are stupid, but getting in means you probably aren't stupid.

I don't have many non-idiots to hang out with outside the people in my house and the people I know from MENSA so I crave that interaction. I would suppose if I lived in a different environment my membership might be less of a value.

They prefer if you submit test scores. I submitted my SAT to get into MENSA.

There is something to be said about IQ not being testable, and that most of the people in MENSA are good at visual spatial reasoning and probably got in by being good at the test. There are multiple types of intelligence, not all of them are testable or translate well into scoring. Not getting into MENSA doesn't mean you are stupid, but getting in means you probably aren't stupid.

I don't have many non-idiots to hang out with outside the people in my house and the people I know from MENSA so I crave that interaction. I would suppose if I lived in a different environment my membership might be less of a value.
lol

i can see where that "non idiot" thing would be very important in oklahoma (just going by your posts, nothing i know about personally).

i live in a college town where every now and then i realize that i am interacting with a seriously brilliant person. makes me wish i hadnt been patronizing towards them.

lol

i can see where that "non idiot" thing would be very important in oklahoma (just going by your posts, nothing i know about personally).

i live in a college town where every now and then i realize that i am interacting with a seriously brilliant person. makes me wish i hadnt been patronizing towards them.

A recent study a friend did (I don't have a link she's still writing up her paper) indicates that the average IQ in my city is 94 and the average of the public school teachers is about 110.

I meet many many low IQ people a day, and while I can get along with most of them, there are many that just annoy me.

A recent study a friend did (I don't have a link she's still writing up her paper) indicates that the average IQ in my city is 94 and the average of the public school teachers is about 110.

I meet many many low IQ people a day, and while I can get along with most of them, there are many that just annoy me.
living in new mexico i meet more people who never got a chance to get much of an education than the seriously stupid.

and most of the stupid people i interact with are doing a job that i cant do--like automechanics or plumbing--so i cant afford to look down on them (at least not sos they'd notice it)

i have no idea. i assume that it, like all iq tests, are slanted toward those who are really good at taking tests.

personally i cant imagine wanting to join a club so much that id take a test to get in.

Well, I could imagine wanting to join like an exclusive astronomy society or something, but joining a club based on being smart seems silly to me. I mean, even if I got in it doesn't mean I'd have anything in common with anyone else in the club.

Well, I could imagine wanting to join like an exclusive astronomy society or something, but joining a club based on being smart seems silly to me. I mean, even if I got in it doesn't mean I'd have anything in common with anyone else in the club.

I'm a member of various SIGs, so not only do I get to hang out with people who don't annoy me, I get to converse and hang out with people who don't annoy me who have similar interests as me.

Well, I could imagine wanting to join like an exclusive astronomy society or something, but joining a club based on being smart seems silly to me. I mean, even if I got in it doesn't mean I'd have anything in common with anyone else in the club.
yeah. i can imagine really wanting to get into the .... socorro gardening society.... and .... having them come over to the house to see my yard to judge if its up to their standards...

but if they handed me a test on gardening terms and techniques that i had to pass to get in.... i just dont think id do it.

i really should join the garden club....

in many ways mensa seems to me to be kinda like a nudist colony. i would no more join a club because people are smart then i would join a club because they are naked. i need a different kind of connection to be willing to put in the effort.

I'm a member of various SIGs, so not only do I get to hang out with people who don't annoy me, I get to converse and hang out with people who don't annoy me who have similar interests as me.
SIGs?

I don't see how a high IQ society would necessarily be filled with people who have the same interests. I mean, if I go find some bright people in another department, I don't necessarily have a lot in common with them. Even in my own department, I don't automatically share a common interest in anything other than astronomy with my colleagues.

SIGs?

I don't see how a high IQ society would necessarily be filled with people who have the same interests. I mean, if I go find some bright people in another department, I don't necessarily have a lot in common with them. Even in my own department, I don't automatically share a common interest in anything other than astronomy with my colleagues.

Special Interest Groups, I am in a travel group, a homeschooling group, a RPG group, a comic book group, a reading group, a group about Jack the Ripper, etc. There are thousands of them. Anything you might possibly be interested in has a group, and if there isn't you can start one. Mensans from all over the world talking about a common interest, intelligently.

Special Interest Groups, I am in a travel group, a homeschooling group, a RPG group, a comic book group, a reading group, a group about Jack the Ripper, etc. There are thousands of them. Anything you might possibly be interested in has a group, and if there isn't you can start one. Mensans from all over the world talking about a common interest, intelligently.

Sounds like NSG.

*tries to keep a straight face*

yeah. i can imagine really wanting to get into the .... socorro gardening society.... and .... having them come over to the house to see my yard to judge if its up to their standards...

but if they handed me a test on gardening terms and techniques that i had to pass to get in.... i just dont think id do it.

Yeah, I can't really think that I'd want to join it that badly. Although I'm thinking of taking up archery (it's just hard to actually do this without a car since all the ranges are off the bus routes) and if I was to take it up and get good at it and found an exclusive club where people would get together and do archery (especially if it involved getting some tips and all) I wouldn't mind having to qualify to get in.

in many ways mensa seems to me to be kinda like a nudist colony. i would no more join a club because people are smart then i would join a club because they are naked. i need a different kind of connection to be willing to put in the effort.
Except that nudists don't tend to brag about being in a nudist colony while some members of Mensa do.

Special Interest Groups, I am in a travel group, a homeschooling group, a RPG group, a comic book group, a reading group, a group about Jack the Ripper, etc. There are thousands of them. Anything you might possibly be interested in has a group, and if there isn't you can start one.

Ah.

Mensans from all over the world talking about a common interest, intelligently.
Intelligence isn't really an interest, it's more of an attribute. Unless you mean that meetings consist of getting together and discussing literature or society or bitching about stupid people.

Except that nudists don't tend to brag about being in a nudist colony while some members of Mensa do.

ya but anyone can be naked.

if it was a nudist club exclusive to those who look GOOD naked, then they would brag.

Intelligence isn't really an interest, it's more of an attribute. Unless you mean that meetings consist of getting together and discussing literature or society or bitching about stupid people.

I meant, that I can discuss religion on the religious SIG without trolls and logical fallacies.*The point of a SIG is to discuss what you are interested in with other Mensans. At our "meetings" it's just local people, we just do social things. Same as if I were doing social things with my neighbors or co-workers. There really is no difference except how we met.
*Why can't I on here?! The mystery continues.

ya but anyone can be naked.

if it was a nudist club exclusive to those who look GOOD naked, then they would brag.
Do people who look good naked tend to join nudist clubs?

its not a requirement.

i dont know who goes to nudist colonies. its so old fashioned... maybe they dont even exist any more.

its not a requirement.

i dont know who goes to nudist colonies. its so old fashioned... maybe they dont even exist any more.
There's one just north of Guelph, On.

I've never been there, but there's a large sign indicating that there is one if you go up highway 6.

Keep in mind that only the long, IRL tests qualify for membership. Online IQ tests do NOT. Last time I tried one, for example, was 25 questions and gave an IQ of 100 + (3 * number right), meaning that even the msot clueless people get AT LEAST the score that's supposed to mean average. MNeanwhile, I aced it and got 175 (which is the entry value for the OLYMPIQ and PARS Societies).

As for my IRL IQ test, I got a 164. Yes, I could join Mensa, but I think I'll pass on having to pay the membership dues (which, by the way, are the same reason Atma's mom canceled her membership and Atma's father and stepfather qualified but declined joining).

Calling me and my friends pretentious is far from light hearted.

Really? Okay, I'll make a note of that.

Most high IQ groups are offshoots of other high IQ groups. I would assume that "our group only takes 99.97" is a sneaky way of saying "well, he only got 99.96 and we don't like him, so we'll start our own club and he's not invited".

There is a vast difference between 98% and 99% though. :cool:

That's what I figured. Same principle with offshoots of religions, right? :p

True. I always hated when I scored in the 98th on a test. Once I scored in the 97th in math and cried, my mom was quite entertained.

A recent study a friend did (I don't have a link she's still writing up her paper) indicates that the average IQ in my city is 94 and the average of the public school teachers is about 110.

I meet many many low IQ people a day, and while I can get along with most of them, there are many that just annoy me.

That's really horrifying, especially as a public school teacher. Although I have to say that my brief experience in the public school system has had its moments of horror... teachers I was observing telling students their answers were "wrong" because they were different than what was printed in the text book, even though the children's answers were often more insightful... One kindergarten teacher I was working with was reading a book about 4th of July parades to the kids, pointed out a drawing of some kids wearing baseball uniforms, and told the class that America was the only country that played baseball. >_<

I haven't gotten my IQ tested officially, but from the ones I've taken online I've gotten as low as 94 and as high as 112.

... but then again I don't believe in IQ's in the first place, so it's all moot to me.

That's really horrifying, especially as a public school teacher. Although I have to say that my brief experience in the public school system has had its moments of horror... teachers I was observing telling students their answers were "wrong" because they were different than what was printed in the text book, even though the children's answers were often more insightful... One kindergarten teacher I was working with was reading a book about 4th of July parades to the kids, pointed out a drawing of some kids wearing baseball uniforms, and told the class that America was the only country that played baseball. >_<
Have you heard the story about the high school biology teacher who was trying to convince my kids she had cat-rabbit hybrids as pets when she was a child?

My kid had to explain to her that cats and rabbits aren't even in the same family and cannot reproduce with each other.

Have you heard the story about the high school biology teacher who was trying to convince my kids she had cat-rabbit hybrids as pets when she was a child?

My kid had to explain to her that cats and rabbits aren't even in the same family and cannot reproduce with each other.
we still talk about that at MY house now and then.

I'm in MENSA, we rarely talk about how bright we are. We do get together often and do quirky things that most people wouldn't do, like attempt to (and succeed at) breaking the world record for the most hugs.

We go on trips together and have a book club, and we volunteer for charity together. We do fund raisers and give scholarships to local students and sell our old books and donate the money to local libraries.

We have game nights and we gather up kids from the gifted kids programs at schools and do activities. Often we just go to each other's houses and watch movies and eat.

It's a social club. It's probably not really important for people in other areas to congregate with other genius level people, but in my area I encounter a rather large amount of idiot, so it's nice to hang out with people who don't make me want to go on a shooting rampage.

I'm unsure if I will qualify for Triple 9, but one of my daughter's does, she is uninterested in the group though because there are so few child members.

Right, I'm also a MENSA cat. I agree with you on many of these accounts. My IQ range has been from 131-141 for a little while now. Average it all and you get me who truly doesn't care about these "societies." It's just wonderful to be able to have conversations with people who respect one another because they realize the other person is just as intelligent as they are. It's also nice to get together and do some charity work.

I was told as a child that I had tested well on an IQ test, and could consider myself a "genius." As laughable as that is to me now (I'm no genius :)), I must admit that it probably motivated me toward studiousness in my earlier years, and entry into advanced-curriculum English and math was good for me, no doubt. If I'm ever a parent, I think I'll tell my child the same whether they test well or not, just to see if the "pygmalion" effect works for him/her.

On topic: no, I'd never join MENSA, or any other group, simply because I *hate* anagrams. That seems to be their deal, and they bore the heck out of me. I mean, I love puzzles, but the ones designed to test your intelligence just aren't fun. If it isn't anagrams, it's usually those epic elimination stories, which are nothing more than drawn-out LSAT "logical reasoning" sections, and equally fun. Meh. :p

There is a vast difference between 98% and 99% though. :cool:
Yes and no.

Most 15 point IQ tests have a standard error of... what, +/- 3 points? That's if they're good.

Let's say you have two people taking the same good test, one gets 130 and one gets 135, there's only an 88% chance that the person who got 135 actually has a higher "true" IQ. There's about a 5% chance that the person who scored 130 is actually in the top percentile of takers of those tests, and a 5% chance the person who scored 135 is outside the top two percent. In principle, from a single measurement, the difference between someone scoring 130 and someone scoring 135 is not that great.

But you can take IQ tests as many times as you care to waste your time and money, and you don't have to report all your scores - just one that's high enough. If you were doing a scientific study, you'd average them, but people get to take their highest score. That creates a little upward bias.

If you have a "true" IQ of, say, 125 - mere 95th percentile - and are willing to take the same test 10 times, you have a 40% chance of admission into MENSA. If you have access to multiple types of IQ tests, with a collective "margin of error" of +/- 5 points (IMO, this underestimates the difference between different IQ tests) then merely taking four different tests will give you a 50% chance of admission - the same as someone with a "true" score of 130 and a single test.

If you run figures like this a few times, you realize it's actually possible for high IQ societies to have a median "true" IQ below their purported minimum requirement (leaving alone the fact that you can "train" for any one given IQ test to a certain degree). When you raise the bar to 1%, however, you start to do an OK job of preventing anybody from outside the top 2% from getting in, while the 2% bar only keeps most people outside the top 5% out.

And for anyone wanting a good illustration of variance... hypothetically, IQ tests are least subject to social biases when measuring children.

I was subjected to a few psychoeducational test batteries on a 15 point SD scale in my childhood. Subscores on these evaluations ranged from 109 to 163. Even "broad" subscores, purportedly measuring some gross-scale ability from smaller subscores, ranged from 119 to 159.

My scores were significantly affected (especially on one administered when I was 13) by my near-illegible handwriting and refusals to play nice with those administering the tests. On the WISC-R, I scored 143, twice, at age 7 and 10; on the WISC-III, I scored 130 at age 13. The accounts of the evaluators are interesting reading... I was quite a problematic child.

Different groups accept different tests. I'm not sure whether all the groups accepting the WAIS (Wechsler adult IQ test) also accept the WISC. ePiq only accepts five tests, including the WAIS, so I might have to take a new IQ test to get in. If I took all five, I could be pretty certain I'd get in.

Colloquy accepts SAT scores, PSAT scores, GRE scores, and Wechsler scores. Actually, it lists GRE verbal and quantitative separately and cumulatively, so technically, I qualify six times for that group. SAT scores, incidentally, are particularly vulnerable to educational effects and "training to take the test."

Even Triple 9, purportedly more elitist than ePiq, accepts older SAT scores, old GRE scores, and current ACT scores... and, of all things, a business school graduate study test(!) and the GMAT.

So what I said earlier? +/- 5 IQ points is small when talking about the disparity in scores from test to test, and MENSA's current list includes two hundred or so entries.

Have you heard the story about the high school biology teacher who was trying to convince my kids she had cat-rabbit hybrids as pets when she was a child?

My kid had to explain to her that cats and rabbits aren't even in the same family and cannot reproduce with each other.

/)_(\

I think there are a lot of stories about your kids I wasn't around for! You need to write a book, obviously.

only if you dont get in.

"Why won't they let me in their stupid club for jerks?"

-Homer

Never had my IQ tested...furthermore I don't really believe in the accuracy of such tests and don't really see what any such group could offer me.

I don't qualify for any of those societies. My vanity kind of wishes I did, but I'm happy when I score 125. Oh well.

On the old 2-part SAT, I scored 660 in mathematics & 770 in English for a total of 1430. According to the OP, that would place me at approximately 143 IQ, with a chance to join Colloquy or ePiq. That is, of course, only a rough estimate and does not take into account the possibility that I'm just good at standardized testing. Too bad life isn't a simple multiple-choice test.

And I wish to register my disgust at the removal of the analogy portion of the SAT. Those were fun.

Social skills > IQ

My scores were significantly affected (especially on one administered when I was 13) by my near-illegible handwriting and refusals to play nice with those administering the tests. On the WISC-R, I scored 143, twice, at age 7 and 10; on the WISC-III, I scored 130 at age 13. The accounts of the evaluators are interesting reading... I was quite a problematic child.


Age will also affect these results as they are standardised based on age dependant norms. This tends to mean that bright kids at the high end of their scales score higher when they are younger than when they are older...

I think the WISCs though are probably the most common IQ tests in use on the research side, though Raven's Progressive Matrices is also quite frequent. So I would be very suprised if there was a society that didn;'t accept WISC

its the pretentiously LOW i.q. sportzdroidz and bizdroidz i find a pain in the posterior. mensoids are at least amusing.

i really wish more people would use what sense they do have though, instead of putting trying to impress each other ahead of the kind of world we all have to live in.

I finally voted MENSA because, while I consistently rank in the 99th percentile on standardized tests, I can't be certain that there is a direct correlation to an IQ test.

I tried this one, and got 112. Not bad, I suppose.

http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf

Careful, it's forty minutes long.

I got 112 as well. I finished in 30 minutes. Not bad for a hurried test during 3am insomnia :p I'm not sure how to weight any of these internet IQ tests, though. I don't really have much trust in internet picture quizzes. Still, maybe I should reconsider whether I am MENSA rank.

its the pretentiously LOW i.q. sportzdroidz and bizdroidz i find a pain in the posterior.

You mean the type of people who say, "You think too much! Let's change the subject to football (or auto racing, or the current popular sitcom)"?

Tothe, a lot of the other ones accept standardized test results, at least for some kinds of standardized tests.
Age will also affect these results as they are standardised based on age dependant norms. This tends to mean that bright kids at the high end of their scales score higher when they are younger than when they are older...
I know there's something of a "ceiling" on some tests as a result of the age scaling, but I wasn't under the impression my scores were close to it. I just think I'm a nice demonstration of varying test results.

I broke my arm at age 6 and learned my "penmanship" writing around the cast. I didn't even start working on developing quick and legible handwriting until after the last battery of psychoeducational tests. Does having that trained physical skill intrinsically affect intelligence? No. Does it affect the results of psychoeducational evaluations? Yes.

When I say my subscores on some of these tests ranged from 109 to 163, the 109 was a writing sample... and on a different sub-portion of the same test battery as the 163. I was actually subjected to that battery of tests twice; one of my subscores jumped 17 points while another dropped by 13 points.

I was also a disciplinary nightmare until... oh... high school. The write-up of my IQ test was filled with accounts of the difficulty they had getting me to follow their instructions. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why my results varied as much as they did.

My point is, you can't look at some arbitrary IQ score and assume it's a precise measurement of anything, even the ability to take that IQ test. I demonstrated a variance between test scores that was at least as striking as the peaks of those scores, but a typical test is normally only good to +/- 5 points or so relative to itself, the best tests aren't any better than +/- 3, and cross-test comparisons vary more wildly.

My point is, you can't look at some arbitrary IQ score and assume it's a precise measurement of anything, even the ability to take that IQ test. I demonstrated a variance between test scores that was at least as striking as the peaks of those scores, but a typical test is normally only good to +/- 5 points or so relative to itself, the best tests aren't any better than +/- 3, and cross-test comparisons vary more wildly.

OBVIOUSLY they are correct when my score is good enough to get in and crappy when it is not.

which makes it a good thing that im not trying to get into any of the extremely elite ones...

/)_(\

I think there are a lot of stories about your kids I wasn't around for! You need to write a book, obviously.

I totally did! It's selling well.

A high IQ score doesn’t mean you’re highly intelligent, it is just teaching you that you’re doing well in solving IQ tests.

About the Mensa people that claim to group together to avoid silly discussions with ‘lower’ beings, I can tell you this:
‘How dumb do you have to be to underestimate the intellect from so called dumb people? Even ‘dumb’ people have smart words, ideas or solutions in thought.”

Being smart is overestimated in real life anyway. Even if you are really intelligent, you will not receive necessarily the nicest chicks or the best paid jobs.

Sometimes I hear people yelling ‘I hope that my kid will be smart’.
Well I am not. I hope that my children will be nice people, loved by most and most important: that they are happy.

A high IQ score doesn’t mean you’re highly intelligent, it is just teaching you that you’re doing well in solving IQ tests.
This is true. Failing to score high on an IQ test doesn't mean you aren't smart either.

About the Mensa people that claim to group together to avoid silly discussions with ‘lower’ beings, I can tell you this:
‘How dumb do you have to be to underestimate the intellect from so called dumb people? Even ‘dumb’ people have smart words, ideas or solutions in thought.”
I don't try to avoid "lower beings", I come here enough. I do like to have friends who are on/near my intellectual level, and guess what you do too. Most people marry within 12 points of their IQ without requesting their Stanford-Binet scores. People like to be around friends who intellectually stimulate them. It's not an elitist idea, it's human nature. Is MENSA an elitist group? Sure, in the sense that you have to pass a test to get in.





Being smart is overestimated in real life anyway. Even if you are really intelligent, you will not receive necessarily the nicest chicks or the best paid jobs.
This is true. Although for some of us "the best chicks" or "the best paid job" are not the defining ingredients of a good life.

Sometimes I hear people yelling ‘I hope that my kid will be smart’.
Well I am not. I hope that my children will be nice people, loved by most and most important: that they are happy.

I don't think most of us "look down" on other people as much as you think. I'll give anyone a base level of respect and about 1000 free passes for stupidity (can I get more than that though please?) but when it comes down to it, there is a LOT of anti-intellectualism where I live, even throughout my country. "Smart people" are looked down on, made fun of, and generally forced out of social situations. People may say they want their kid to be smart, but what they mean is they don't want their kid to be stupid. Nobody really wishes actual smartness on their kid because they are afraid he will be a "nerd" or socially inept, or made fun of, or bullied, or boring, or a million other things smart people are saddled with that aren't fair.

I don't try to avoid "lower beings", I come here enough.

You think NSG are full of lower beings?

I don't try to avoid "lower beings", I come here enough.

And that is why I dislike intelligent people.

You think NSG are full of lower beings?
Not all of you, but there is a great population of them here.
And that is why I dislike intelligent people.
You dislike yourself? How sad. :(

Not all of you, but there is a great population of them here.


Are you sure you're not merely talking about people you disagree with and/or have offended you?

Are you sure you're not merely talking about people you disagree with and/or have offended you?

No, most of those people are intelligent. There are people here who seem to have trouble connecting basic dots. I know you know they are here. They aren't the "regular" posters. For every 20 of you that post regularly there are 300 that post randomly and aren't too bright. I know you don't think all million nations of nationstates are genius level IQ. Or do you? o.O

This is true. Failing to score high on an IQ test doesn't mean you aren't smart either.

I don't try to avoid "lower beings", I come here enough. I do like to have friends who are on/near my intellectual level, and guess what you do too. Most people marry within 12 points of their IQ without requesting their Stanford-Binet scores. People like to be around friends who intellectually stimulate them.
I remember knowing a fellow undergraduate in the honors program in college who had something like 60% of my IQ score (as defined by tests). I suspect she had a better GPA than I did.

But she was never going to forget that IQ difference, and she was pretty sure it was there from when she first met me. It was something she found very intimidating - and there was a very real difference between our brains, in sheer processing speed at least, if not necessarily RAM, storage, or the quality of our internal software.

I will also never forget the friends I had growing up. There were two other boys I knew in elementary school that could keep up with the racing speed of my thoughts and hold up their own end of the conversation with me.

One took five years to graduate high school because he was failing academically. A lot of people would say he was stupid. The other got into drugs in middle school and, the last I heard of him, was in trouble with the law by the time I started going to high school.

Sure, two out of three of my closest friends in high school (the third was the five-year dude) were indubitably high-IQ types, but you don't have to have a high IQ to intellectually stimulate someone with one.

My IQ probably isn't high enough for either one... (See, even people without the IQ of Einstein can install Gentoo Linux ;) )

I remember knowing a fellow undergraduate in the honors program in college who had something like 60% of my IQ score (as defined by tests). I suspect she had a better GPA than I did.

But she was never going to forget that IQ difference, and she was pretty sure it was there from when she first met me. It was something she found very intimidating - and there was a very real difference between our brains, in sheer processing speed at least, if not necessarily RAM, storage, or the quality of our internal software.

I will also never forget the friends I had growing up. There were two other boys I knew in elementary school that could keep up with the racing speed of my thoughts and hold up their own end of the conversation with me.

One took five years to graduate high school because he was failing academically. A lot of people would say he was stupid. The other got into drugs in middle school and, the last I heard of him, was in trouble with the law by the time I started going to high school.

Sure, two out of three of my closest friends in high school (the third was the five-year dude) were indubitably high-IQ types, but you don't have to have a high IQ to intellectually stimulate someone with one.

That is true. I would say most of my close friends are above average IQ (some of them barely so I would assume). Not many of them outside of Mensa are probably even in the top 10%. What I have to deal with though is people who are below average, and while I can converse with them and be "friends" it never quite gets to a level that I crave, because they aren't capable or willing of being interested in the things I am. Are all high IQ people interested in the things I am? Of course not, but it's easier to find people who are by being in Mensa.

The whole "lower beings" comment was a joke, I took the phrase from someone else's snarky quote and ran with it. I don't for a second doubt that there are very intelligent people on here, many who are more knowledgable than me and many who are just plain smarter. I won't deny that. I'll make a list if it would make you all feel better.

That being said, I think it's funny that many people here are "too good" for Mensa, because apparently Mensans are "elitists". What are you when you are too good for the elitists?:confused:

Pimp your IQ...

1) By doing IQ tests. Your brain will be trained in recognizing exercises and patterns. Expect a bonus of 15-25 points.

2) Doing the 'official' IQ test in the morning. At that time of the day, your brain is much fresher then at the evening when it's overloaded with all kind of garbage and suffers from natural fatigue. Bonus expectation 5-15 points.

3) Sleep well at night and make sure to dream. Bonus expectation 5-10 points.

So when you're lucky you'll receive a bonus of 50 POINTS !!!

That being said, I think it's funny that many people here are "too good" for Mensa, because apparently Mensans are "elitists". What are you when you are too good for the elitists?:confused:

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. --groucho marx

I'm not sure if the SAT measures anything reliably... but certainly it can't be trusted as an gauge of intelligence.

I didn't think so...

I scored 1450 on my SAT I and 800 on the SAT II writing, and all I got was a "good job!" and $1000 for National Merit consideration. Obviously they like you a lot more than me. :(

Most of my scholarship money comes from the school I'm going to, so I guess they wanted to encourage National Merit students to go there instead of to UF or out-of-state schools. Part of it comes from being valedictorian, but it's mostly from my school offering a $48,000 scholarship to National Merit students. My friend who was also a National Merit finalist (I don't think he won the $2500 from National Merit like I did though) went to UF and they barely gave him anything.

That being said, I think it's funny that many people here are "too good" for Mensa, because apparently Mensans are "elitists". What are you when you are too good for the elitists?:confused:
Ah, but that's what we have more exclusive high-IQ societies for! I'm pretty sure some of them must be just there as jokes to make fun of the idea of a high-IQ society... meaning Mensa, since that's far and away the biggest one.

I have an IQ somewhere in the 140s according to the test that my university made me do. They were profiling me for a learning difficultly and as a result having one I got free computer stuff and extra time on exams. I've never used either. I couldn't get the computer stuff to work properly, even though I though it was quite neat - especially the dictaphone. And though I've never used the extra time I do like having it as it means I get to take my exam in a small room with only 30 other people and can if I finish close to the normal end time I don't have to wait for the exam to finish proper before I can leave.

It's also good for cowing people who go around trying to intimate others who are doing the same to others. Like when I was working for a charity, me and my boss where in some negotiations with a local government official. He was essentially regurgitating a thesaurus in an attempt to intimidate my boss (who'd never gone to university and felt insecure when around those that had -- or at least flaunted it). I basically interrupted him and told him to shove where the sun don't shine in very obscure and verbose terms.

hey, triple 9 actually looks pretty cool.

thanks for letting me know about it! :tongue:

I'm too smart to be in MENSA, however it's the most active local group.

I'm impressed by how "intelligent" the general populous of general is though. By impressed of course I actually mean amused.

I didn't vote in the poll because it's badly formed.

The kind of people who use NS are likely to be intelligent anyway. You can tell by how they form their comments, and how they communicate. I bet there are more NSers in the 98th IQ percentile than not.

The kind of people who use NS are likely to be intelligent anyway. You can tell by how they form their comments, and how they communicate. I bet there are more NSers in the 98th IQ percentile than not.

I seriously doubt most of them are in the 99.9th percentile and above. People with an IQ of 133 happen about 1:40, that's about 95% if I remember correctly, I believe a lot of those might be around here. An IQ of 169 is pretty damn near 99% if not a little over (but not quite 99.9%) and happens about 1:100,000, the odds that 90% of of the people posting in this thread are that level of IQ is well, unbelievable to the point of hilarity to me.

I don't think you can have negative IQ points... ;)

...haven't been paying attention to Washington D.C. lately, have we now? :p

I seriously doubt most of them are in the 99.9th percentile and above. People with an IQ of 133 happen about 1:40, that's about 95% if I remember correctly, I believe a lot of those might be around here. An IQ of 169 is pretty damn near 99% if not a little over (but not quite 99.9%) and happens about 1:100,000, the odds that 90% of of the people posting in this thread are that level of IQ is well, unbelievable to the point of hilarity to me.


Do you think IQ is something people should know? I was told when I was very young what my IQ was and I'm sure it's changed since then. I can't say if I ever had a kid I'd have them tested.

Do you think IQ is something people should know? I was told when I was very young what my IQ was and I'm sure it's changed since then. I can't say if I ever had a kid I'd have them tested.

To tell you the truth, I think it's almost the least important thing about a person. I don't see how it's a real measure of anything truly important other than in the vaguest "above average" or "below average" because then things get a little sticky for people. If you are between the 40th and 90th percentile it's pretty much not important at all. If you are below the 40th you might need some extra accommodation, if you are above the 90th you might get bored in school.

I don't really understand the need to claim you are in the top 1%. I don't even know right now what my IQ is, I know what my SAT score was, and I know when I was a kid I scored very high on the WISC-III but my actual number? I don't really care.

I explained why I am in Mensa. I had a little bit of fun acting like an elitist and seeing the reactions. I can't say I really care all that much. Common sense is more important to me than an IQ score and those two don't often coincide.

To tell you the truth, I think it's almost the least important thing about a person. I don't see how it's a real measure of anything truly important other than in the vaguest "above average" or "below average" because then things get a little sticky for people. If you are between the 40th and 90th percentile it's pretty much not important at all. If you are below the 40th you might need some extra accommodation, if you are above the 90th you might get bored in school.

Isn't bored the default state in school?

I totally did! It's selling well.

really? TG me on how I can get a copy! :hail:

Isn't bored the default state in school?

It certainly was for me, especially since in the school I was in (or from what I could tell the Wallionian educations system) they didn't set by ability. So you had me and a couple of other with the equivalent of consistent straight As stuck in the same class as those who were barely passing (and indeed many of them didn't). Result - I developed the very useful technique of paying just enough attention to come in with the right answer and appearing attentive whilst allowing my mind to wander to more interesting things.

It certainly was for me, especially since in the school I was in (or from what I could tell the Wallionian educations system) they didn't set by ability. So you had me and a couple of other with the equivalent of consistent straight As stuck in the same class as those who were barely passing (and indeed many of them didn't). Result - I developed the very useful technique of paying just enough attention to come in with the right answer and appearing attentive whilst allowing my mind to wander to more interesting things.

I didn't even pretend to be interested. I remember my highschool Spanish class I'd sit there and read books through the whole year. Drove the teacher mad because I could answer the questions he was asking and pass tests when I was blatantly not paying attention.

I mean hell it was Spanish, just memorizing vocabulary. BORING.

You dislike yourself? How sad. :(
You want 6 characters, Jolt? Here, have your 6 characters
Pfft.

I didn't even pretend to be interested. I remember my highschool Spanish class I'd sit there and read books through the whole year. Drove the teacher mad because I could answer the questions he was asking and pass tests when I was blatantly not paying attention.

I mean hell it was Spanish, just memorizing vocabulary. BORING.

I think I annoyed my Math's teachers the worse, because I would skip forward and complete all the exercises we were meant to do for homework (thus giving me far more time to play around on the internet)...

Of course I could have annoyed them because I would correct their mistakes :eek:

In honesty though, I think a lot of it is because of poor teachers. Once I hit sixth form (and went back to the UK), even though the work wasn't necessarily more challenging, the teachers engaged the class more in discussion and it became more than just a question of a right or wrong answer.

I think I annoyed my Math's teachers the worse, because I would skip forward and complete all the exercises we were meant to do for homework (thus giving me far more time to play around on the internet)...

Of course I could have annoyed them because I would correct their mistakes :eek:

In honesty though, I think a lot of it is because of poor teachers. Once I hit sixth form (and went back to the UK), even though the work wasn't necessarily more challenging, the teachers engaged the class more in discussion and it became more than just a question of a right or wrong answer.

I couldn't actually stand math. I'm moderately proficient at it but it's just so god damn boring. Once you get past the basic stuff you're into specialist math that you'll never ever use. I always preferred the sciences and history. Learning the how and why rather than mindless formulas.

I had good math grades until I met my nemesis in Calc 1 during college. Calculus is not my friend - I got a D the first time through, but made a B when I re-took the class. Trig and geometry were fun, though. Algebra was boring but easy.

I liked English, Literature, History, and the sciences.

My IQ's only 127 so i dont qualify.....before this thread i was quite proud of it, lol...THANX RYADN!!!:mad:

I seriously doubt most of them are in the 99.9th percentile and above. People with an IQ of 133 happen about 1:40, that's about 95% if I remember correctly, I believe a lot of those might be around here. An IQ of 169 is pretty damn near 99% if not a little over (but not quite 99.9%) and happens about 1:100,000, the odds that 90% of of the people posting in this thread are that level of IQ is well, unbelievable to the point of hilarity to me.
Er. For the Wechsler and most other tests used in the US, 133 is 1.4%. Stanford-Binet, 2%. For the Cattell, which is on a 25 point standard deviation, 9.6%. Not all IQ scores are on the same scale.

Now, I'm going to guess that there is some "lying." There's also two layers of selection bias. First, if you don't qualify for any high-IQ societies, you're very likely to skip the poll. Each person posting is most likely using the highest estimator of their IQ possible - which is apropos to the poll question, as the societies in question require you only to have one estimator in their qualifying ranges.

As in my case, it's not strange to have 10 estimators for IQ accepted by the above. If the average accuracy is +/- one half the population standard deviation (7.5 pts, not excessive given the inclusion of SAT, ACT, and GRE scores as estimators), the typical reported IQ exceeds the supposed "actual" IQ by a median error of +11 points on a 15 point scale. And that's assuming everybody responding is referring to a 15 point scale, so an average "unintentional" error of +15 points would be no surprise at all.

Throw in the fact that very few people who don't have a high IQ score to brag about will actually state their scores in this thread, or answer the poll, add in the fact that most of these estimators "break down" statistically at the high end, and we don't have to have nearly as many liars.

Suggestion: Put up a plain poll asking "What's your IQ?" with well-selected brackets and I bet you'll might get something slightly more believable.

It would also be helpful if there was one free, online IQ test for everyone to take. I've never had mine tested officially, and I get a large range of numbers from the online IQ tests.

living in new mexico i meet more people who never got a chance to get much of an education than the seriously stupid.

and most of the stupid people i interact with are doing a job that i cant do--like automechanics or plumbing--so i cant afford to look down on them (at least not sos they'd notice it)

Actually, a good I.Q. test should be able to measure your critical-thinking, your ability to work things out along a line of logic, not your level of education.

I had good math grades until I met my nemesis in Calc 1 during college. Calculus is not my friend - I got a D the first time through, but made a B when I re-took the class. Trig and geometry were fun, though. Algebra was boring but easy.

I liked English, Literature, History, and the sciences.

Calculus *shudders.* It took me four quarters to pass two quarters of calculus. Statistics was easy by comparison - I tutored people in Stat. I still have nightmares about Calculus

It would also be helpful if there was one free, online IQ test for everyone to take. I've never had mine tested officially, and I get a large range of numbers from the online IQ tests.

Actually, there are quite a few.

Actually, there are quite a few.

That's the problem. They all give me wildly different answers.

I imagine the incredible number of super smart people on here is less to do with lying or a skewed sample and more to do with amazingly inaccurate internet IQ tests that give you a good 30 point boost just to encourage you to send the link to others.

Although lying isn't out of the question considering that there's a decent amount of absolute morons who reckon they're amongst the very smartest. Naming no names like.

That's the problem. They all give me wildly different answers.

Well, then; If you go by my earlier post, ask yourself; which one BEST represented a test of your REASONING, rather than your EDUCATION?

Er. For the Wechsler and most other tests used in the US, 133 is 1.4%. Stanford-Binet, 2%. For the Cattell, which is on a 25 point standard deviation, 9.6%. Not all IQ scores are on the same scale.

Now, I'm going to guess that there is some "lying." There's also two layers of selection bias. First, if you don't qualify for any high-IQ societies, you're very likely to skip the poll. Each person posting is most likely using the highest estimator of their IQ possible - which is apropos to the poll question, as the societies in question require you only to have one estimator in their qualifying ranges.

As in my case, it's not strange to have 10 estimators for IQ accepted by the above. If the average accuracy is +/- one half the population standard deviation (7.5 pts, not excessive given the inclusion of SAT, ACT, and GRE scores as estimators), the typical reported IQ exceeds the supposed "actual" IQ by a median error of +11 points on a 15 point scale. And that's assuming everybody responding is referring to a 15 point scale, so an average "unintentional" error of +15 points would be no surprise at all.

Throw in the fact that very few people who don't have a high IQ score to brag about will actually state their scores in this thread, or answer the poll, add in the fact that most of these estimators "break down" statistically at the high end, and we don't have to have nearly as many liars.

Suggestion: Put up a plain poll asking "What's your IQ?" with well-selected brackets and I bet you'll might get something slightly more believable.

IQ threads have been done before and IIRC over 80% claim that they are in the top 1%-2%, is it possible in this self selecting group? Sure. Is it probable? I don't much think so.

IQ threads have been done before and IIRC over 80% claim that they are in the top 1%-2%, is it possible in this self selecting group? Sure. Is it probable? I don't much think so.
i dont see that the ..... quite average....person could make it here.

although the next iq thread needs to have a public poll so we can think about who DIDNT say what their iq is.

this poll only has 38 answers (total does not include mine) we surely have that many very smart posters even without taking smartasses into consideration.

i dont see that the ..... quite average....person could make it here.

although the next iq thread needs to have a public poll so we can think about who DIDNT say what their iq is.

this poll only has 38 answers (total does not include mine) we surely have that many very smart posters even without taking smartasses into consideration.

meh. *starts thread*

Well, then; If you go by my earlier post, ask yourself; which one BEST represented a test of your REASONING, rather than your EDUCATION?

I seem to be exceptionally good at the "match the wavy line" quizzes. The "sally likes X, but not Y" type problems seem to be a bit harder for me. I don't know which tests pure reasoning better, it just seems like I'm better at visual reasoning than other kinds.

I imagine the incredible number of super smart people on here is less to do with lying or a skewed sample and more to do with amazingly inaccurate internet IQ tests that give you a good 30 point boost just to encourage you to send the link to others.
Oh, I forgot about crappy online IQ tests. I take it my prediction that 125 IQ will be close to the "mean" response is going to be an underestimate?

Flat Earth Society.

I second this.

My Internet Quality score is quite low. On a scale from 1 to 200 I'd give it a 132.

My IQ's only 127 so i dont qualify.....before this thread i was quite proud of it, lol...THANX RYADN!!!:mad:

But with which scale were you measured? 127 is very high in some scales, whilst on others, a person of 127 IQ would barely be able to use a computer at all xD