Living in Hope

HUMAN POTENTIAL It is quite possible that the very circumstances in man he seemed to be heading towards complete annihilation, could serve to unfold a new and brighter phase of his existence. “The reality of events suggests that human beings are amazingly controlled and resilient in the face of adversity. Perhaps heroism–not panic or shock–is the right word to describe their most common behaviour in times of disaster.” (Report: Disaster Research Centre, Ohio State University) I n the Ohio State University of U.S.A. there is a department known as the Disaster Research Centre. It was established in 1963, and so far, studied over one hundred different calamities affecting human beings on a vast scale. It was discovered that at moments of crisis, an extraordinary new potential develops in people which saves them from succumbing to disasters and their aftermath. For example, in 1961, Texas was struck by a severe coastal tempest, but less than half