Zealots Help Sway Popular Opinions

Enthusiasts can greatly influence the adoption of new ideas. Image credit: Gabriel Saldana via Flickr | ://bit.ly/1E9IjCQ Rights information:://bit.ly/1dWcOPS Opinions rarely form in a vacuum. People are heavily influenced by the opinions of others in their social networks, whether they be real or virtual. Some people are not open to new ideas. These are the zealots, who proselytize an opinion -- the superiority of Apple products, for example, or skepticism about climate change -- in the hopes o...