You Walked Into The Party |
Everyone Needs Something To Believe In, And I Just Believe I’ll Have Another Beer Department: It is my understanding that one of the core beliefs of Mensa’s founding is that all Mensans are equal in intrinsic worth. Whatever test score is offered for qualification, it is Mensa membership itself which provides the level playing field within the group. If someone holds the belief that he or she is “First Among Mensans”, perhaps there was an initial misunderstanding as to what club was being joined . . .
Alice Roosevelt Longworth supposedly had a needlepoint pillow which read: “If you can’t say something nice, come sit by me.” Witticisms aside, a constant need to deride others might suggest the purveyor of negativity suffers from a superiority complex. Sad to say, though, even finding others who share a penchant for condescension will not necessarily legitimitize the excellence quotient of one who is mostly a legend in his/her own mind. Basic math reminds us that zero times zero equals zero, but the futility of using this type of multiplier generally escapes the perpetrator of put-downs. Ultimately, the operator at work is subtraction: One who lacks self esteem uses belittlement in an attempt to lower the stature of his or her unfortunate target. Alas, attempting to denigrate someone else will not compensate for one’s own inadequacies, no matter how often this is attempted.
Another manifestation of the “Why, Yes, I Am More Wonderful Than You” syndrome is expressed in the constant need to be right. Will this particular approach demonstrate one’s ability to tower over one’s fellow Mensans (who in fact belong to a highly specialized PEER organization)? No, because a lie told repeatedly and emphatically as if it were the truth will not convert a falsehood into an absolute fact, and the truth hammered endlessly before a disbeliving audience will not convert the heretical. What ultimately is gained by this suit? Nothing—it’s another zero sum end game. Will the consensus likely yield “Singularly deserving of the Nobel Prize!” or “What a stupid jerk!” on this type of behavior? Survey says: the latter.
So how’s this harangue related to the subject of “fun”? Well, for starters, it’s no fun to be the object of ridicule or obdurate pontification. And, unless you actually relish those varieties of mean-spiritedness, it isn’t even fun to hear them directed at someone else. The situation decidedly shifts into the anti-fun zone when a victim or witness of this type of social assault feels unable to speak out‑‑whether through perceived or overt intimidation, a sense of hopelessness, or lack of venue.
The fostering of an intelligent civil-ization here in Greater Phoenix Mensa gives us the possibility of increased individual and collective good. If somewhere along the line in GPM you’ve experienced or witnessed something less than commonly accepted civility, I’m genuinely sorry about that. I choose to see Mensa as a glass half full, and every GPM member as having the potential to contribute something positive to our society—both within and without GPM. I thank those of you who choose to promote mutual respect among GPM so all may experience the maximum benefits of membership.
And if your chosen GPM behavior doesn’t lead to a Citizenship grade of “Plays Nice With Others”, take notice: Some day, some way, those clever, clever minds (which you have so cavalierly dismissed) may surprise you and devise an incredibly delicious avenue of retribution. . . Beware: Carrie lives!