Curious to know what being a Mensa member is all about? We spoke to Mensa member, Sunny Burk, about his experience of taking the Mensa test, and what he values most about being part of the Mensa community since joining in 2015.
Why did you decide to take the supervised IQ test?
The husband of a friend of mine is a member of Mensa, and she suggested that I should have a go to see what my IQ is. I initially thought that I wasn’t intelligent enough to be able to join Mensa, although I always felt well above average. However, she truly believed that I was very intelligent and strongly encouraged me to take the test. Still somewhat sceptical, I took the supervised IQ test. When I received the results, I was pleasantly surprised: my IQ was much higher than what I initially thought it to be, and I was invited to join Mensa!
What do you value most about being a Mensa member?
In all honesty, it was initially for the prestige of being able to say that I am a member of Mensa. I promptly put my certificate up on the wall in reception at my business premises, next to my university degree. At that point, little did I know what it really meant to be a part of Mensa and the great amount of value that it would provide to my social life!
Once I had discovered the social events that Mensa has to offer, I would honestly say that it has changed my social life. In the times before I joined Mensa, I found socialising to be pretty tough. After graduating from university, which was followed by many of my friends dispersing around the country to start their graduate entry programmes, I felt very lost socially. In a world where people just seem to easily click with each other, I couldn’t seem to click with them in the same way. I often ended up in social situations where the conversation topics were mundane, the jokes weren’t funny or I was listening to some “amazing” story that was not only so far from being so, but was honestly something that I couldn’t care less about. I preferred to talk about things that made me think, made me look at the world from another angle, and made my mind explore ideas that it hadn’t already i.e. things that would stimulate my mind.
Joining Mensa opened up a world of social opportunities for me – to meet, socialise and make friends with people who wanted the same things out of their social interactions that I did. I have made so many like-minded friends that I can spend hours upon hours of enjoyable time with, something which in the past I couldn’t envisage ever happening. I have found friends who see the world in the same way as I do, who think similarly to me, and enjoy many of the same hobbies and activities.
What else has Mensa brought to your life?
I would say that being part of such a wonderful community has had a hugely positive impact on my general life during the hours I’m away from Mensa. It has improved my general mood and outlook on the world, and I now feel more energised and upbeat.
What would you say to others who are considering taking the test?
Honestly, just go for it! There’s so much to gain if you are able to join Mensa. Even if you don’t quite make it, you’ll still find out what your IQ is!
But whatever you do, don’t just assume that you might not be intelligent enough to join Mensa – it’s not clearly obvious who is or isn’t within the top 2% of IQ just by casual observation. For example, I didn’t think that I would be quite intelligent enough, but it turns out I was!
What’s your advice to people who’ve been invited to join?
There’s only one way to find out how awesome Mensa is, and that is to join it!
In my opinion, the best way to experience Mensa is to attend some in-person events to see what it is all about. If you are between 18 to 35 years old then I would strongly recommend coming to some Young Mensa events, they are fantastic!
