One of the biggest game changers that has contributed to paradigm shifts is the breadth and depth of information on the web. What I mean by this is the sharing of information and experiences beyond word of mouth. Back when I was a kid a lot of paradigms were fed by gun writers and folks that said you needed a 300 win Mag to kill a “big whitetail” or a 338 win Mag to kill an elk. Many of those folks are still around and are the same people year after year that say it will be the biggest mistake of your life if you try to shoot a deer with a 223, but haven’t themselves. Yet HUNDREDS of people on forums shoot deer with 223s, post pictures and results and are perfectly happy. I have a cousin who is absolutely convinced his first elk rifle (first centerfire rifle) needs to be a 300 win Mag for those “cross canyon shots”. When I asked how he came to that determination he said the old timers at the bar near his moms cabin said so and live and breathe elk hunting. Later I learned none of them have shot an elk since the 80s.