Welcome to Mensa

I have always been a misfit. I took the test to see if I really do differ from the average. And then, during the first meeting with fellow Mensans, I had this sense of homecoming: as if arriving from another galaxy to a place where I belong. I met plenty of valuable people: many of them I consider friends and there are lots of them I look up to.

It is an honour to be a member of Mensa. From the very first moment, my eyes have been sparkling: finally, I arrived in a place where people share similar thoughts, say similar puns, have similar associations like I have. Naturally, I also see the differences: different characters, attitudes and views – some of these I embrace, others I reject, but this makes the world complete. We cannot be different in the same way.

The world was a hostile territory. In order to preserve my human relationships, I had to wear a mask of courtesy. Still, under this mask, I was alone. Alone and lonely. I wanted to get rid of this mask; I was looking for an environment where people can understand me. And at the end, the people I found in Mensa tamed me: they made me a better person. I entered the community like a strange, wild animal – and some members just reached out for me and took me in. I am grateful.