"I thought that in general we in the United States were too optimistic in believing that the Soviets might alter what had been for a long time, as a matter of fact for centuries, fundamental Russian policies in respect to the rest of the world"

This quote by David Bruce suggests that the United States was excessively optimistic in thinking that the Soviet Union would alter its enduring foreign policies. Bruce indicates that these policies have actually been in location for centuries, and that the United States was naive to believe that the Soviets would suddenly alter them. This quote highlights the problem of changing deeply entrenched policies, and recommends that the United States need to have been more realistic in its expectations. It also works as a suggestion that diplomacy is frequently sluggish to change, which it is very important to be familiar with the historical context when making decisions.