The Moral Vision
Human Potential
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HUMAN POTENTIAL
In the Ohio University of the U.S.A. there is a
department known as the Disaster Research Centre.
It was established in 1963, and has 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. In
1961, for example, Texas was struck by a severe
coastal tempest, but less than half of the inhabitants
opted to vacate the area. Over 50 percent of them
had the confidence to stay on in spite of the storm
warnings issued to them four days in advance.
Subsequently, in 1971, a big dam was weakened
considerably following an earthquake, which
seriously endangered the lives of 70,000 people, but
at that very critical time only 7 percent of the
population chose to leave their hearths and homes.
Such research has also revealed that the victims of
such disasters still maintain high hopes for the
future. The citizens of the two affected areas of
Texas, having witnessed the destruction caused by
