Urban Opinion Gurus

Text: Zsolt Korren

Pest-Buda in the carving of a picture magazine from Paris, 1857 © timelord.hu

Although in our everday life we are perfectly able to recognize and identify the people who have the charisma to influence our decisions, choices and preferences in various areas of reality by sharing their expertise, knowledge or opinions, it is primarily the economic and social studies that make in-depth research into the identification of opinion gurus and their motifs today. Marketing as a discipline interprets this concept with an approach from our consumer choices whilst we know of numerous cases in which opinion gurus shape our world views by passing on information and sharing their knowledge. We have the tendency to ground our viewpoints on our previously acquired approaches when it comes to solving questions and issues we are facing in our everyday life. As a result, also those individuals evolve into opinion gurus who chisel public opinion and tastes by their oeuvres, works of art, as they effectively influence individual approaches. This article analyses the concept of opinion gurus by focussing on the practices defining architecture.