Operant conditioning and group reinforcement, combined with need and desire.

Also many of them DO see that it effects everything, but they've been taught that this is a Good Thing.

That ventures into that area where peopel start to consider religion to be a mental illness....

It’s not through analysis or cogitation. It appears to me that some people have some buttons ready to be pressed. Say certain magic words and they’ll respond with zealous religious behavior springing from deep subconscious wiring. You can’t expect to change them with logic.

I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.

Fear?

It reminds me of a never-ending camagin.. If they can get everyone on their bandwagon, they must be right?! Though the ‘zeal’ stands out … what I notice most often is a going-through-the-motions behavior, like zombies.. And the Zealots I’ve met appear to burn out fast