Intellectual Osmosis

Osmosis is a biological process that I am applying to the shaping of thoughts, opinions, and even beliefs. [Osmosis] is “a passive process and happens without any expenditure of energy" and is defined as: “Osmosis is a process by which the molecules of a solvent pass from a solution of low concentration to a solution of high concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.” 

Ideas and beliefs can and often are formed through a passive process of information passively flowing into our minds virtually unchecked. They become more solidified by peer pressure or group think. In the 1950s, Solomon Asch conducted a social pressure experiment.  He has a series of cards with lines of varying lengths drawn on them, which were shown to a group. Most of the group had been told in advance which line to select as the longest, even though it was not.  He discovered that a high percentage of those who had no knowledge of the fix being in conformed with the group and also selected the shorter line.  More recently, a group of "Scientists revisit Solomon Asch’s classic conformity experiments — and are stunned by the results." They conducted the experiment in three different ways, one of which was in politics: "In terms of political opinions, the experiment revealed that group pressure significantly influenced participants’ responses to political statements. An average conformity rate of 38% was observed. This extension of Asch’s work into the realm of opinion demonstrates the broader applicability of his findings beyond simple perceptual tasks."

As for personality traits, the results indicated that openness was the only trait among the Big Five that had a significant correlation with conformity levels. Individuals who scored higher on the openness trait tended to conform less to the group’s incorrect answers in the line judgment task. This suggests that people who are more open-minded and independent in their thinking are less likely to be swayed by the opinions or judgments of others, even when faced with the pressure of a unanimous group decision.

In other words, it is relatively easy to change the opinions and beliefs of nearly 40% of people through peer pressure. We are currently watching this play itself out in culture and the church in issues like the growing defense of Hamas terrorism, increasing public anti-semitism,  belief in the claim of human-caused climate change, and other issues based on progressive narratives. The current unfounded story of the Federal government is that Hamas and other terrorist groups aren't the real terrorists. It is those evil Roman Catholics and evangelicals. The repeated tall sales are swaying a fairly high percentage of culture to align with those who are pointing to Roman Catholics and evangelicals as radicals that must be silenced. 

https://mailchi.mp/a8647d8c0722/the-occulting-of-culture-and-the-church?e=169825fd77