What makes a concept viral?

For an idea to spread, it must be sent and received.

Nobody "sends" a concept unless:
a. they comprehend it
b. they want it to spread
c. they believe that circulating it will enhance their power (reputation, earnings, relationships) or their composure
d. the effort needed to forward the concept is smaller than the benefits

No one "gets" a concept unless:
a. the main reaction demands additional investigation
b. they presently identify that the foundation ideas required to get the latest idea
c. they trust or respect the sender enough to invest their time

This explains why online ideas spread quickly but why they're often shallow. Nietzsche is hard to identify with and risky to spread, so it moves slowly among people prepared to invest the time. Numa Numa, on the other hand, spread like a toxic waste spill because it was so transparent, reasonably entertaining and easy to share.

You'll come to find that ideas never spread because they are important to the originator.

Notice too that a key dynamic in the spread of the idea is the capsule that includes it. If it's easy to take, tempting and comprehensive, it's a lot more likely to get a fine start.

But that does not suggest that there's no responsibility for mystery or ideas that unfold throughout time. Actually, the unmeasurable variable here is style. Howard Dean's ideas spread at the beginning--hardly because of the economic ramifications of his immigration policy, but because of the factors above. The method they were presented fit into the worldview of those that spread them.

A key element in the spread of ideas is their visual element. iPods and visual styles spread quicker in the real world as opposed to ephemeral concepts. Pictures and short jokes spread quicker online because the investment necessary to learn if they're worth spreading is so miniscule.

And of course, tons of bad concepts spread. Panic, for instance, is a superbad concept at all times, but it spreads quicker than most. That's because spreading a concept is hardly a thoughtful, voluntary act. Alternatively, it's near the heart of who we are, and we often do it without thinking a lot about the implications.