The author reviews research on behavioral perceptions of people in emergency situations. Based on surveys and interviews with disaster victims, he shows that the belief that is widespread among the public (and in pop culture) that people in groups act irrationally and often get carried away by their emotions is unfounded. In difficult situations, people are able to self-organize and not only look out for their own interests or show irrational impulsive behavior. The mechanisms responsible for this include the formation of a new group identity, a sense of community and the associated expectation of mutual support in this difficult situation, as well as a sense that self-organization is an effective way to deal with a given challenge.