"In disasters, people are more likely to be killed by compassion than competition. They often tarry to help friends or family members. When a crisis hits in a crowded place, people often undergo a shift, identifying themselves more as group members than individuals. Emergency planners can help ordinary people act as “first responders” by giving them practical information as the situation unfolds."
This is an article from Scientific American Mind, November, 2010.
It touches on the myth of mass panic, crowd dynamics, from "me" to "we," survival unity, survival guilt....
Here is the pdf to the full article:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/affiliates/panic/SciAmMindwithoutpics.pdf
https://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=7738
I agree with much of the points that they made but figure that one should maybe now point out the philosophy that "It often just takes one to speak up to make a majority".
We were taught crowd control as MP's and likely many officers get the same today. Their examples of the crowd leaving in an orderly fashion is easy to understand...as long as you don't get the person like the famous guy in "Alien" whose line was "Were all gonna die"! When they mention the herding instinct, it's such as this that can start that stampede. Your job then is to counter that action immediately to neutralize the situation before the stampede starts. It is your job because if someone else doesn't soon do it, another might echo the first and then it will take three to reverse the ripple effect caused by those two individuals.....and so on... and so on!
So we can draw different conclusions to many situations and show either aspect of this argument. But the thing that likely ruled those situations where folks performed well is likely to be accredited to those who helped keep control and set a good example for others to follow. That should be You!
This is indeed a good article and worthy of note as each situation seems to have something to ponder on. Considering that folks can keep it together under such stressful situations sure doesn't bide well for the insane actions that occur from such things as Black Friday doorcrasher sales. Yet something led even those folks to get hyped enough to do the complete opposite of that which this study presents...another puzzle to ponder more upon!