Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Friday, July 29. 2011

Public opinion: The 10% solution

"Studies show" that, once 10% of a population accepts a notion, it acquires a sturdy enough foothold to have a chance to widely penetrate the population. That's why cranky ideas and crazy notions - along with worthy notions - become part of popular culture.


Here's the report:  Tipping points and beliefs – the 10% solution.


Politicians know this, which is why they are so full of BS. Their tactic is to repeat a meme until it's accepted by a quorum, even if you Maggie's Farmers know better. You can get 10% of people to believe that the moon is made of Roquefort, that vaccinations cause autism, that JFK's assassination was a conspiracy, or that the planet is about to burn up due to cars.

Posted by The Barrister in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 14:11 | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

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I don't know but it seems to me that the left is the master of this sort of thing - keep saying the slogan (or lie) over and over till it attains some legitimacy with that 10%. Then expand the definition of everything that has newly acquired legitimacy till the original idea is unrecognizable but claim the current definition really means the original. They do this while maintaining that anyone opposed to the new idea is an extremist.
#1 mudbug on 2011-07-29 15:28 (Reply)
This seems necessary but insufficient. Clearly, 10% must believe in something before 90% do. But, I am sure people can name any number of things believed by 10% of the population that is clearly opposed by some other 10%.

This claim while true seems too simplistic to really explain anything.
#2 steve on 2011-07-29 17:45 (Reply)
12 Angry Men. Nuff said....LOL
#3 Rick on 2011-07-29 20:43 (Reply)
Well said Steve and so true.!By stating so clear you complex things even more so for the for the righty tighty!

MUDBUG
"I don't know but it seems to me that the left is the master of this sort of thing"
#4 RL on 2011-07-30 03:19 (Reply)

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