Loading ...
TIPSTER SAYS AT LEAST SIX MEMBERS OF LEGISLATURE ARE MENSA MEMBERS
An anonymous tipster informs me of a nifty little tidbit that, if true, would be absolutely astounding.
According to this person, there are at least six members of the South Carolina General Assembly that are, get this… members of Mensa.
For those of you unfamiliar with Mensa, it is a social club for geniuses. In order to become a member, you must score at or above the 98th percentile on multiple standardized IQ tests.
That makes it the exact opposite of our state legislature, where you often have to have an IQ below the tenth percentile to become a member. Yet the tipster absolutely affirmed that a half-dozen of the 170 folks that make our laws are, in fact, Mensa members.
Unfortunately, though, they didn’t tell me who. So, if you know or want to guess, please use the comments section. You can probably rule out this guy, this guy, and this guy.
The only way to obtain a MENSA quality IQ out of the legislature is to add the six IO’s together.
I was a member of MENSA for a few years starting in 1977, using it primarily, I think, as a way to find a mate. The meetings were fine, a lot of folks were trying to impress others, but that’s true of most organizations, especially in the DC Metro area where I lived at the time. I got the T-shirt and hat, but that was about it. I found greater psychic rewards in other organizations where folks were committed to a cause. MENSA really has no goal, but is just a way for folks who are good at passing tests to get together.
I did find a mate a few years later, a native of Columbia, SC, which is why I call myself a Palmetto State citizen by choice. We are two months away from our 30th anniversary and I remain happy that I was smart enough to marry her.
I should add that MENSA accepts the top 2% as measured by IQ. So even if you believe that we in the South are stooopid, we’re going to have maybe .5% of the population that qualifies, and that’s enough to have one or two in the legislature, no?
And keep in mind that IQ appears to measures ability: capacity or potential for problem-solving. It does not speak to accomplishment. Norman Borlaug (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borlaug,_Norman ) was not a member of MENSA, had trouble getting into college, and took a bit longer than most to get his degree. But he worked diligently to save millions, if not billions, of lives and has received accolades worldwide. I wonder why his name is not better known…