If you can, should you?
 

Join Mensa, that is. If you score well enough to join a society like Mens a or Intertel or any of the high IQ societies... should you? Is it a way to find people of similar interests? Is it a status symbol? Just some curiosity.

If you like it, why not? A club is for fun. I found it boring.
I don't see it as something that benefits society.

It's certainly a way to find people of similar interests if you enjoy it. And if you felt interested enough to take the test, then maybe you will enjoy it. But I don't think you should if you don't want to. Are you being pressured?

I had been curious about Mensa, so I went to a meeting of the local chapter the summer before my senior year in high school, when a friend invited me. I thought it was fairly lame. But I'm sure it depends a lot on particular groups, so YMMV.

My advice is, if you feel you have enough activities on your plate, you're likely not missing much, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Otherwise, check out a local group and see if it looks like it's up your alley. If it seems interesting, go for it. IMO there is no "status" benefit from joining, so if you go, go for the activities & socialization.

What about Mensa was lame, those 'in the know?' ;)

Hmm well "lame" is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. It was pretty much conversation and board games, neither of which I have any problem in theory. I guess I came away with the impression that most of the people were trying very hard to prove exactly how much they deserved to be in Mensa, and I've never been one for intellectual pissing contests.

Yeah, and that's what I fear it would be. A friend of mine recently joined and he's got a big head as is, so he's been a particular turd about it. Many times (when he's drunk) he'll bring it up as a point in an argument. Ergo: "Just because there are gaps in the theory of evolution doesn't mean that creationism is true." ... "Yeah well, I'm in Mensa, so...."

Not even joking. He denies he does it while sober, and we all just laugh at him... but I fear what a room with less social intelligence than him would do (that terrifying inverse relationship between genius and social competence)...

Of course, the quickest way to shut him up is to ask when he's going to join Intertel, which pisses him off fairly:D .