In Odyssey, what does Odysseus learn on his journey that makes him more human or a more fully developed character?

When Odysseus travels to The Land of the Dead and sees his
mother, I believe we truly see a man broken who can no longer handle holding himself
together for the sake of the troops. Throughout his journey he has been patient,
responsible, enduring, confident and strong particularly for his men. Here, when he
finds his mother has passed on, I find him allowing human emotion to overtake him and
for just a few moments, he does not seem to be the god-like or larger-than-life
character that we have watched so far. I would think this symbolizes for Odysseus the
passage of time, and the depth of that which he has missed. I believe it makes his
longing for home increase because he might be wondering who could be next that he will
never again get to see.