The overarching word used in this episode is "change;" Semyon's conviction is that people who change their scenery are really looking to change facets of themselves. The word which best describes this phenomenon is "self-actuality." Nothing fulfills the human spirit more than being the best they can be.
This lesson becomes a recurring theme as a series progresses. For Semyon in particular, the "change" involves distancing himself from his KGB roots, and living a simpler, more peaceful life. For other characters, this involves everything from curiosity to self-control.
Self-actuality has the highest order on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow proposed the needs hierarchy back in 1943, and it goes as follows: at the lowest rung our physiological needs, also known as survival needs. This ranges from air, food, water, sleep, and reproduction. Next are safety and security needs – health, morality, a place to live. Above that our needs of love and belonging – friendship, family, romance. Finally, you have esteem needs – confidence, respect of and by others. Only after all of these needs are met can then need for self-actuality be realized.
That said, self-actuality is a very open-ended subject. In one vein, to realize one's fullest potential is to pull off transcendence and become something more than human (in a philosophical sense). In another, it is the ability to become a driving force for external change, be it locally or globally. And in another, it is simply the achievement of true happiness.
Unfortunately, many people are unable to reach this higher level of the hierarchy because they cannot meet the needs of the levels below it. People become plagued by doubt, which inhibits their esteem. They become lonely, which inhibits their sense of belonging. They encounter roadblocks to success, such as job loss and debt, inhibiting their security. Some may even find themselves devoid of basic survival resources, such as food and water. Any and all of these things will lead to the prevention of self-actuality, and send the individual into a downward spiral of despair.
Society does a disservice to its people by failing to give them the opportunities to meet the needs of the lower levels. Sometimes it is the fault of the people, but often it is a fault of nature itself. The world as harsh; resources are scarce, people are separated by distance. In order to prevail over these and similar hurdles, mankind requires a strong level of perseverance.
Putting it all together means making some changes to the self. While the changes may vary by person, here are some general rules of thumb:
1) Accept that every bad event has good elements within it, and vice versa. If you lose your job, you can still cherish those memories where the job was fun, and motivate yourself to seek those elements in future jobs. If you suffer a bad breakup, you can reconcile the fact that, for a time, you got to observe a lot about the person you were with and respect a lot of differences that come from being around people. You grow stronger as a person.
2) Accept that every event, good or bad, success or failure, has a learning experience veiled within it. If you make a mistake, you come to witness its result, and to reason whether such a result, however unintended it may have been, is worth emulating again or not. Great inventors are those who can take repeated failures and find meaning within them.
3) Put others in your position. If you consider the notion that others are facing equal challenges to your own, you begin to perceive the everyone has an equal. This increases the chances of cooperation occurring, which in turn improves the odds for individual success.
4) Most importantly, give. Give your time, give your input, and give your support to anyone who is in dire need of these things. This step is perhaps the easiest, yet is the most overlooked.
May the winds of fortune blow around you during your quest.
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