RAMBO-type people are more likely to die in a disaster than those who are strong-willed but humble, a survival expert says.
Author Robert Gonzales has idenitified what he believes to be the keys to surviving a major disaster.
Gonzales studied miraculous tales of survival from catastrophes like the Burmese cyclone, September 11 attacks and the Boxing Day tsunami for his book Deep Survival.
"(The survivors) are people who tend to have a view of the world that does not paint them as a victim," he told CNN.
"They`re not whiners who are always complaining about the bad things that are happening to them and expecting to get rescued."
You`re in a disaster, deal with it
About 75 per cent of people caught in a catastrophe either freeze or simply wander in a daze, he says.
"The first thing people do when something bad happens is to be in denial," Gonzales says.
"People who make good survivors tend to get through that phase quickly. They accept the evidence of their senses."
Don`t try to be an action hero
And while Rambo can survive a volley of bullets in the movies people who overestimate their abilities are often the first to die in a real disaster, he says.
"Humility can keep you out of trouble," Gonzales says. "If you go busting into the wilderness with the attitude that you know what`s going on, you`re liable to miss important cues."
Gonzales says survivors also often had strong family connections that motivated them to not give up.
He also suggests to survive people should think critically and independently about what is happening to them and not blindly follow instructions if they seem wrong.
His brush with death
Gonzales narrowly avoided dying in a plane crash in 1979 when he refused to fly on a DC-10 because of lingering doubts about the plane`s safety record.
The flight from Chicago to Los Angeles crashed just after takeoff, killing 271 people onboard.
"It`s a story about having the information and using it," he told CNN. "So when this trip came up, I was prepared to do something out of the ordinary."
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