pouët.net

Which in conclusion makes it yet another place for you to visit and then sit idly by not talking to anyone. Kinda sad, isn't it?

It depends on the people. I recall Mensa meetings from several years ago when there were so interesting people that I did not want to leave in the evening. And another time, there were only a bunch of low-educated middle-aged women talking about their children, and when I was fetching "Neue Zürcher Zeitung", they asked me: "What is that crap all about?" - I responded: "International politics and economy." - They said: "Ah, boring stuff..." No wonder I left very soon.

Ok, I just tried to think of a situation that a) from your perspective happened as you described and b) simultaneously could actually have happened at all, and the solution was so fitting and hilarious and scary at the same time that I just couldn't help cracking up. Good thing I stopped caring about your incurable social incompetence years ago already and now resort to treating you as a kind of pawlovian plaything when I'm kinda bored, otherwise I'd really be worried.

the Mensascene is dead

kb_: I think that you are a primitive (Fachidiot) and retarded person. You could be cured, but you need professional help.

Excellent Adok. You are telling one of the most intelligent, talented and respected people here "complete idiot".

The most of the time I understand your lack of social skills, and your inability to understand social rules, and I even try to empathize with you... but some other times, fuck, why don't you STFU!? It is that difficult, in your supposedly brilliant mind, to understand that it is not good to insult people?

Oh, sorry, I forgot you don't understand irony.

"Excelent Adok" === "You did it wrong"

texel, kb_ is criticising me for not "opening my mouth". So I decided to talk frankly from now on and say the things that circulate in my head. Regarding kb_, yes, I think that he is an idiot, despite his programming and musical talent. "Fachidiot", as we call it in German. If kb_ wants me to talk frankly: OK, I'll do it.

You are right that it is not a good idea to insult people if you want to be on good terms with them, but ... you see, this is what I am being criticised for: for having inhibitions not to speak my mind. You may be right that it might be really better to shut up, but now I will try to remove my inhibitions and tell people what I think of them.

Ok Adok. Some few things:

- The most of the people feels bad when we see one person insulting other person. I understand that there is no pure logic on this, since if you insult kb_, and I'm not kb_, it should not be my problem, but it seems that the development of social skills causes that. I advice you to take that in mind.

- So, what do we do to say what we think without causing pain to non related people? Try to say things softer. For example "I dislike what you do" sounds better than "what you do is shit". For the most of the people both means almost the same, but the first is socially acceptable and the second is not. We usually like honesty, but we try to balance between honesty and softness.

What I would like to discuss, as long as I have the opportunity:

In society, there are lots of compulsive elements. People are expected to behave in a certain way. This is something I do not understand. In the past, historically viewed, most countries in Europe were monarchies. The countries were basically owned by monarchs, and the people living in these countries were their subjects, having the obligation to serve their monarchs. If somebody did not fulfil the monarch's wishes, he would die. Basically.

Now why is it still like this that people are forced to behave in a particular way, although we are living in democracies now? There is little pressure from the government to behave in a certain way. There are laws, and if you violate a law, you will be punished. But, apart from that, you are free, in theory. And still, there seem to be social customs to which you have to adhere.

Just think of Scamp. He called me "retarded" some time ago. I do not know why, but I guess that this might be due to me still living at home, and me still studying, having no job. Many people think that people at my age should be living on their own and working. But why do they think so? There is neither a law forcing you to live on your own, nor a law forcing you to work, at least not in Austria.

Scamp says that "you should be tolerant". How tolerant is he, I wonder? Being tolerant means that you do not care about other people's lifestyles.

I think that there are some habits and traditions inside people's heads which originate in times that are long gone. They make no sense from a logical point of view, IMHO. The only reason why somebody should work is because he wants to get money. As long as you have enough money to live, why work? And why live alone if it is not necessary? After all, living in your own apartment costs money. Living on one's own may be a reason to work. But as long as you do not need it, why do it?

When I need a reference regarding what "normal" people are like, I compare myself to the people from my high school class. Most of them are still living with their parents. Most of them have already completed a university degree by now (I have done so, too). A few are working, but not all of them. I'm perfectly normal. In Scamp's eyes most of my former classmates would be retarded. So be it.

Psychiatry has been one of the subjects of my studies - I know a lot about personality disorders and can conclude that I have an excellent personality, predisposing myself to professional success. (Narcissm - the belief that you are a great person - and obsessive-compulsiveness, also called "perfectionism", are positively correlated with income.)

I do not understand why there are people clinging to certain religious beliefs, why there are (German) people who would still like to win World War II, why there are people who would like to make everybody equal, and so on. I would love to lead ideological discussions with intelligent people from all walks of thinking, from all types of philosophical schools. I have not found a place where one could do that yet.

texel, thank you for the advice. I wished other people here followed your advice, too. As a matter of fact, it was not me starting to insult others. When I joined pouet.net many years ago, I was insulted by others first.

I posted what Navis dug out about Mensa to a Mensa forum. A Mensa member replied: "It is quite fitting." I asked him if he thinks that that guy in the quote is a typical representative of Mensa. He answered: "No. But he exemplifies a set of persons de facto representing Mensa since they combine the 'I am a member of Mensa!' attitude with simultaneous acting like a smartass while not understanding certain things. All the people I know who are proud of being a Mensa members share this combination. While this does not represent what Mensa is really like, this is what most observers get to see from Mensa. Egocentric people acting like 14-year-olds."

I'm in the urgent need for a "Just think of Scamp." T-Shirt now.

Recently I posted a comment on that to Facebook:

"I often encounter people who are proud of having had above 130 in an IQ test and believe that they are great for this very reason. When you tell them that you got above 130 on such a test, too, they won't believe you. It would be important to educate people better: 130 is not really high. An average (!) physicist or mathematician has 140, an average (!) philosopher has 150."

I received several answers from Facebook friends. One of them did not even know that an IQ of 130 is above average.

When I became a member of Mensa I included a note about my membership in my online CV at my homepage. Back then I attributed more to IQ than what its real value is. I recall very well when a student told me: "I saw your homepage and I am impressed. But, regarding the IQ test: Don't take that seriously. Even I managed to get above 130 on such a test."

He was absolutely right. If you take a look at the (professional) performance of many Mensa members, there is no reason to be proud of being a member of this club. Intelligence without diligence has little value in industrial society.

- And now, enough about Mensa. Let's try to stop talking about that crap.

Man, I go drop the girls off @ school & miss ALL the fun.
As to what's been said -

Q.E.D.

maybe they should rename it to "Menses".

The main problem with the IQ test system is the very common inability to high scorers to understand this:

(intelligence -> iqTestSolvingSkills) != (iqTestSolvingSkills -> intelligence)

In fact, it is... ironic? that people with high IQ have, supposedly, good logical skills, but too often don't notice this.

Oh Adok, you truly are a Mensa-certified comedy practitioner. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wipe these tears from my eyes...

Oh, this is good. People, just suppress your tl;dr urge for a minute or two - if you read carefully, the long paragraphs above are probably the most open confession that Adok has ever made. Somehow his subconscious must have thought "Enough. Let's sneak a few things between the lines without him noticing". Too bad the self perpetuating positive enforcement loop he's stuck in will probably take over again far too soon.

And now off to print myself that "My narcissm makes me even greater" shirt. Best idea of the month so far \o/

what, is adok 27? Does that mean you wasnt seeing frontline action in WW1 ?

but in your book you said.... oh wait.

Wait... What is Mensa?

A kind of "Rainman" club full of people who are able to count thousands of matches in 1 second but are absolute DUMBASSES?

When somebody calls you a retard, there's a couple of possible reasons:

1. You're retarded (i'll come back to this one)

2. He's lost all respect for you, for reasons that are apparent to most people but you've failed to see it.

So there's no law against not working, spending your time studying or whatever instead. But look at it another way: you have to eat, have a place to live, and you're attending a university. They all take money and resources, which have to come from somewhere.

Are you making money or resources? No. Is scamp? Yes (so far as I know at least). In other words, scamp is paying for your lifestyle. What are you giving back in return? Anything? A fair return for everything you're taking?

Do people respect people who only take and give nothing back?

Then there's the issue of you actually being retarded. Let's take a loose definition of retarded, and use multiple intelligences instead of the outdated IQ concept mensa are stuck with. Was this man retarded or a genius? Both, in different ways.

With that in mind, and looking at what you've said and done before now, scamp is clearly right.

I'm sick and i must stay at home today, so please, Adok, don't stop posting in this thread.