What are your interests?
Well, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and that is supposed to mean an early spring. Even in California, it doesn’t appear that way with the dreary days and cold weather.
I like knowing about the weather. Not to the point of studying meteorology, but more knowing about the patterns and where they affect other areas. It is something that interests me, and like many Mensans, I have a lot of interests.
What I find fascinating about Mensans in general is they don’t follow the “American” norm when it comes to meeting strangers. In the United States, one opening question dominates the rest when meeting someone new: “What do you do?”
I can honestly say that is a question I rarely hear among Mensans. They ask each other about their interests or hobbies. If they are involved in volunteering for Mensa, if talking to a member.
This is something I can really get behind. I love knowing about what interests/hobbies others may have, and why. Mostly the why for me. How did you get interested in that? What brought it to your attention? How in depth is your interest? Did you follow up by studying it? Did you research it? How far down the rabbit hole can or did you go? That is what really piques my interest, how excited are they about it.
My belief is that this very cultural aspect of Mensa members is why our Special Interest Groups thrive as they do. We have over 125 SIGs listed on our website that range from Reading to Disneyland, from Self-Help to Activism, from Beer to Bitcoin. The best part is even if you cannot find a SIG that suits your interests, you may start your own and find other like-minded members.
This is how an organization of members with nothing in common but their IQ (and paying dues) thrives. Because we can find the common grounds of interest with each other through the SIGs. What are your interests? Have you checked out the SIGs listing lately?
Thank you for reading and as always, I’m listening.