Does crisis brings out the best in man?

  I don't feel that crisis brings out the best in man.Indeed,there are exceptions when humans' better self tend to shine through like in the case of Japan,but at the end of the day,the belief that crisis will bring out the best in man is nothing more than a Utopian notion,a naive and simplistic thought of humanity.Man,at his core,is greedy and selfish,and crisis only serves to bring out the darkest side of his nature,which we can see in many instances around the world.
  
  During a crisis,people tend to have the mindset of "every man for himself".Saving himself first is of much more priority then others.The need to survive drives man to do unimaginable things.His selfishness unleashes itself.People look at the grocery stall and think,"The stall owner is gone.I need to survive.Who cares about if he makes losses if it benefits me?"We do not need to look far for instances like this.For example,in the uprisings in the Middle East where many refugees started streaming out of Libya and Egypt into places in Europe and Africa like Italy and Tunisia. Another example will be the Haiti Earthquake,where a 7.0 magnitude earthquake left more than 200,000 dead and the capital Port-Au Prince in ruins.Widespread violence occurred as many fought for food and water and gunfire exchanges and fights  were widespread.This reflects how human beings tend to care about only themselves in a crisis,to save themselves instead of helping out,and their selfishness shows through.

  Greed is a part of every human.Their desire for money,for valuable items can be seen even in peaceful times.It turns for the worse in crisis as people resort to violence and cold-blooded methods to get what they want and desire.Take the case of Hurricane Katrina which struck the United States of America affecting causing more than 1,800 fatalities and causing more than US$90 Billion worth of damage,the costliest hurricane in US history.In affected areas like New Orleans,which was mostly submerged in water,looting was rife,with people sealing whatever they could as law enforcement agents struggled with rescue efforts and resuming law and order.People stole whatever they could get their hands on,including food, clothes, jewellery and appliances and gunfire broke out between policemen and looters.Many were making use of the confusion to steal whatever they could.Or the Chile 8.8 magnitude earthquake.A day after the earthquake, some affected cities were chaotic, with extensive looting of supermarkets.People stole not only food and other life necessities, but also electronic goods and other durable merchandise. In some areas, curfews were imposed to control the looting and public disorder. All these reflects how human beings can be truly greedy and despicable,making use of the confusion during a crisis to steal valuable items that they do not need but want.

  Of course there are exceptions,such as during the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan last month,causing a earthquake,tsunami and a still ongoing nuclear crisis.Their spirit,resilience,kindness and their civility had gained the awe and respect of the world.There have little looting,fights and violence.Many are helping one another cope with the crisis.A fisherman who have lost his family members on a Japanese island is ferrying residents to and fro the mainland even after losing his family members in the disaster.People are lining up in orderly lines to collect aid supplies and young students are helping to cook and care for the elderly in evacuation centres.The altruism of the 'Fukushima 50', a group of 50 nuclear plant workers risking their health and lives to solve the nuclear crisis.However,we must understand that this is only the minority,with the Japanese being one of the most civilised and well-respected people n earth with a good culture that have been nurtured in them since young,and there are only that few instances where such rare good sides of humans show.

  Crisis is a mirror of our nature.It shows how deplorable we are.The altruistic few that stand up to gain our respect in a crisis is admirable,but at the end of the day,we still have to face the reality that ultimately,crisis will bring out the worst in man.