About the International High IQ Society
Nathan Haselbauer
The International High IQ Society was founded by Nathan Haselbauer as the New York High IQ Society in 2000, with the aim of promoting discussions on a variety of intellectual topics, and it utilized the power of online platforms from the outset. The organization became the International High IQ Society later that year, reflecting its growing international membership, and is open to individuals who have demonstrated an IQ in the top 5% of the population.
The Guardian wrote an article, Ok, if you’re so clever…, that sheds light on the origins of the International High IQ Society. An excerpt:
Nathan Haselbauer, a 28-year-old New Yorker with a big smile but virtually no hair, used to earn a lot of money on Wall Street but found the work intellectually stultifying. After trading stock options for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, he wanted to discuss books or religion, but found that his colleagues preferred football or cars. He thought about joining Mensa, the best-known club for clever people seeking bright companions, and sent off for a home test. He passed and was invited to a supervised test, but by this time he was getting bored with the process.
‘I thought, in the day of the internet, is this the most efficient way of doing things? All those delays and waiting around for results. I wanted to sign up for a high IQ society that wasn’t like that, but then I looked around and there were none.’
New and prospective members might ask themselves where Nathan Haselbauer has gone. Unfortunately, Nathan is no longer with us, having transferred his ownership of the International High IQ Society before that. Nobody can replace Nathan, as we are a diverse crowd and have so many different backgrounds, but it is good to remember that IHIQS came into existence thanks to Nathan. He will not be forgotten.
More than just a high IQ
Of course, some of that good old spirit remains, and we have continued to add new flavors to the mix. Still, our sign-up procedure is far from tedious, exactly as Nathan intended. No extensive, expensive sit-ins. No distractions when having to take a test in a group setting. We would be biased and lose more neurodivergent people in the process of becoming a member. For our official admissions test, we’ve partnered with the previous owner of the International High IQ Society: 123Test. They offer the only online, self-administered tests accepted by us: the 123Test Culture Fair Test and the 123Test Classical Intelligence Test.
With the current developments in online technology, it’s also more than logical to continue developing the International High IQ Society to remain relevant and engaging, offering intellectual challenges, deep conversations, and fun without banter or trolls. We represent a contemporary movement and stimulate discussions on a variety of intellectual and philosophical topics. With this in mind, we offer a platform to present ideas, discuss them in a friendly environment, share professional knowledge, and enjoy learning. In 2022, we transitioned to a brand-new Member Community. It is great to see how many existing members have reengaged since and contribute to the refreshed discourse that takes place.
In 2023, Alice Burridge, PhD, became the new President of the International High IQ Society, having been involved in managing the Member Community since 2018. Under her leadership, the International High IQ Society continues to grow and expand in terms of focus groups, also known as hubs, and the number of nationalities represented.
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