We were discussing whether everyone develops personally. And whether there's a type of person who simply doesn't develop. One participant said: 'Igor, there are different types of people. There are controllers, there are other specific psychotypes — do they even develop?'
I believe every person always develops. But the pace is different for everyone. In the Soviet Union there were no trainings — but there were books, and reading books was not at all shameful. Our parents developed through smart literature, reading Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy, Jack London. That was self-development too — it shaped worldview, formed culture, built character.
Another realization: take someone who's 40 today — are they the same person they were 20 years ago? No, they've definitely grown. Somewhere they became an expert at driving nails at home, somewhere they became an expert in their family relationships. But are they capable of going deeper? Of reflecting, being more conscious, being more open to growth?
This isn't taught in school. These principles aren't embedded as a cultural phenomenon. It's glossed over, not talked about. And yet there are skills and knowledge without which it's IMPOSSIBLE to build anything worth building. If we know that we won't get this knowledge at university or in school — then where? The answer is obvious: you have to seek it out yourself. Or find someone who's already done it and learn from them.
The market changes faster than ever.
A business that stops adapting loses its position — even if it was once a leader. A person who stops growing is soon overtaken by those who started later but didn't slow down.
This isn't motivational talk — it's survival mechanics. In nature, anything that stops growing either stagnates or dies. Business is the same. You are the same.
The question isn't 'do I need to grow?' The question is 'what's the next level?' When you reach one result, the game doesn't end — it changes. You need to redefine 'enough' and find the next challenge. Growth isn't always comfortable. But stagnation is always slow death.
What's the practical step? Simple: every week, one new thing. A book, a course, a conversation with someone smarter than you in a specific area, a mistake that you didn't repeat. Compound this for a year — and the person you were 12 months ago won't recognize you.
