A process for increasing the viscosity of a hydrocarbon organic liquid under increasing shear rate which includes the step of:(a) forming a solution of said hydrocarbon organic liquid and a polyampholyte having about 1 to about 500 milliequivalents of sulfonate groups per 100 gms. of said polyampholyte, wherein the concentration of said polyampholyte is about 0.01 to about 20 wt. %, said polyampholyte having the formula: ##STR1## wherein X is about 40 to about 98 mole %, y is about 1 to about 50 mole %, and z is about 1 to about 50 mole %, wherein y and z are less than 60 mole %, and M is an amine or a metal cation selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron, lead, Groups IA, IIA, IB and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements; and(b) subjecting said solution to increasing shear rate to increase the viscosity of said solution by at least 10% as said shear rate increases.