The Price of Genius: My Brief, Brilliant, and Mostly Pointless Stint in Mensa
By Allan W. Janssen
Yes, it’s true. I was once a card-carrying member of Mensa—the high-IQ society that bills itself as a sanctuary for the top 2% of thinkers on the planet. And what did I get for my forty bucks a year? A cheap little plastic I.D. card that was, ironically, too flimsy to open a locked door... even a metaphorical one.
So Why Did I Join?
Well, like many of us, I was curious. Curious if the rarefied air of genius would smell different. Curious to see if discussions would float above petty squabbles into realms of deep insight and intellectual ecstasy. And yes, maybe a little curious to see how my mental mileage stacked up in the fast lane of the cognitive Autobahn.
What I Found Inside
The reality? A newsletter, some online forums, and the vague sense that I’d just been initiated into the most exclusive club of people who really like puzzles. (To be fair, the puzzles were good. But after a while, you realize that IQ doesn’t necessarily translate to wisdom, compassion, creativity—or good conversation.)
I met some bright folks, sure. But I also encountered enough ego to power a small city. It turns out that when everyone in the room is the “smartest person in the room,” conversations can get… competitive. Or worse, boring.
What Is Intelligence, Really?
Here’s the kicker: real intelligence isn’t about what’s printed on a score sheet. It’s about adaptability. It’s about emotional insight. It’s about recognizing the limits of what you know—and being wise enough to listen when someone else speaks. (This from someone who paid a hundred bucks for a cheap little plastic... "badge of brilliance."
Leaving the Ivory Tower (With a Smile)
I left Mensa not out of spite, but out of satire. It was a nod to the idea that intelligence, like faith, like art, like love, should be lived—not credentialed. Genius doesn’t need a membership card. It just needs curiosity and a willingness to laugh at itself once in a while.
So now, whenever someone asks if I was ever in Mensa, I smile, nod, and say, “Yes—but I outgrew the I.D. card.”
Keywords: Mensa, High IQ, Allan Janssen, Humor, Philosophy, Genius, Children of the Divine, Intelligence, Identity, Ego
