Growing up, I remember my mum constantly talking about Mensa and her admiration of Hollywood celebrities who are Mensa members, such as Geena Davies and Jodie Foster (I still debate with her with regards to this). Because of this, I've always been intrigued with Mensa or anything else high-IQ related. Come to think of it, my earliest toys were either puzzles or solving-based toys.
While I was interested to join Mensa, I'll admit there wasn't any sense of urgency, therefore I never even bothered to research if Mensa actually has a presence in Malaysia - I ignorantly assumed they were exclusively American (in fact established by the British).
With international Mensa members during International Board Directors activities.
Back in 2015 I quit my first job and went job-hunting. One of the interviews made me take an IQ test and the result surprised them - I scored 150. While I didn't get the job, they suggested me to try my luck at Mensa - that's when I found out that Malaysia does have a Mensa HQ. I thought to myself, mum has always looked highly on Mensa and its members, how would she feel if her daughter is a member as well?
I took the test, and much to my dismay I missed by 1 point to qualify as a member. While I reconsidered a retake, procrastination got the better of me and it would be four years before I actually retook the test.
2019 was a tumultuous year for me; ranging from a failed long-term relationship to progressively bad job and health situations. In the midst of recovery, both mentally and physically, I decided to distract myself by trying new things, and that's when I recalled Mensa. I went studying for month and retook the test; this time I passed, scoring quite a ways over the passing point. While I was ecstatic to finally become a member, I wasn't sure of the benefits, apart of the bragging rights haha…So I decided to pay for only 1 year's worth membership fee instead of max.
Attending my first "Nice to Meet You", an event for new members to mingle around.
First thing I noticed upon becoming member is how welcoming they were. I didn't feel any judgement for being different - my interest in puzzles was met with excitement and we had many sharing and bonding moments. I got to listen to others, and learnt that I wasn't alone feeling isolated due to our specific, niche interests.
Of course it is here that I would learn the difference between IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotional Quotient). We often joked that most of us while have high IQ, we're most likely lacking in EQ due to our tendency of overthinking and overanalysing. To me it's not a joke, it's a fact - and probably why I often felt alone, even when in the midst of a big crowd. For the first time since the start of 2019 I felt alive. I participated in as many meets as possible, got to know everyone and exchanged interests and life experiences. I got to learn many things and I also felt the joy of sharing my knowledge.
My joining time couldn't be better, for 2019, Malaysia will be hosting one of the biggest and important event for Mensa worldwide; the International Board Directors (IBD). I immediately jumped to volunteer.
Photography duty during International Board Directors.
During the IBD I got to do few things I've always wanted to do; photographing the official event, updating social media and showing foreigners my beautiful country. During this time I felt so alive and I felt I had discovered some parts of me I never knew I had. I also participated in some of the games which required teamwork; they were fun and challenging (as expected). Here I learnt how I needed to improve my teamwork skills as I worked alongside local and international members. I've always been a lone wolf, unless it's job related, but this is the first time I truly enjoyed a non-job-related teamwork activity. We also got to know and exchanged our cultures during these times.
But most important is meeting new people around the world, building connections; both professionally and personally. I believe this will become handy in the future.
While my physical health didn't improved much, my mental health improved considerably. I learnt it's ok to be myself, it's ok to be alone, without a life partner, but it's better to be surrounded with people who accept who you are. Also, knowing that my IQ is above average is a big boost to my confidence.
Group photo of Malaysian Mensa volunteers during International Board Directors.
When I joined Mensa, I was expecting to earn merely bragging rights, and the possibility of being surrounded by snobbish people; instead what I found is a family.
source: Triple-M 2020 #1: The Intelligence Quotient Issue
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