**SNIP** With my collaborators MarYam Hamedani, Hazel Markus, Hilary Bergsieker and Liyam Eloul, I conducted a psychological study of Hurricane Katrina survivors and relief workers, as well as Americans who watched the disaster from afar. We found that outside observers — and even the relief workers providing aid — viewed those who evacuated as “self-reliant” and “hard-working,” while they denigrated those who stayed behind, calling them “lazy,” “negligent” and “stubborn.” These characterizations, rooted in pervasive American attitudes of independence, presume everyone in harm’s way has a clear ability to leave when, in reality, many lack reliable transportation or the money...