--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should not assume that Russia is…" description: "\"We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live according to its worst traditions. In fact, in Russian history, failed efforts at external aggressio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg" --- # We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live… ![“We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live according to its worst traditions. In fact, in Russian history, failed efforts at external aggression, when they fail, usually bring on areas of internal reform.” quote by Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg) > “We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live according to its worst traditions. In fact, in Russian history, failed efforts at external aggression, when they fail, usually bring on areas of internal reform.” [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Challenges the notion that Russia is inevitably bound to its harshest historical patterns, noting reform often follows failed aggression. **In simple terms:** Russia can change after failed wars. Key Takeaway Expect reform after conflict. Themes history political change Russia Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - policy making - academic research - media analysis Key Concepts geopolitics institutional reform Questions to Reflect On - What conditions enable genuine reform? - How reliable are historical patterns? A Different Perspective Reforms may be superficial or short‑lived. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) [Areas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/areas/) [Assume Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-russia-2797134/) [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Failed Efforts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failed-efforts-2797136/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-failed-2797135/) [Internals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internals/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-doomed-2797133/) [Russian history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russian-history/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ## Related quotes > [I am not one of these people that believes that Russia is doomed, or somehow, you know, inevitably disposed to act according to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-am-not-one-of-these-people-that-believes-that-russia-is-doomed-or/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [“Failed efforts are there for you to examine and learn from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-wilson/failed-efforts-are-there-for-you-to-examine-and-learn-from/) [Kelli Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-wilson/) > [I had a minor in Russian history, and this was at the time when the big Cold War was going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-anderson/i-had-a-minor-in-russian-history-and-this-was-at-the-time-when-the/) [Kevin J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-anderson/) > [“Russians love a good plot--camarillas, Masons, whatever--where in fact there is usually just plain sloppiness. Someone mistrusted someone else; someone failed to warn someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-radzinsky/russians-love-a-good-plot-camarillas-masons-whatever-where-in-fact/) [Edvard Radzinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-radzinsky/) > [The great drama of Russian history has been between its state and society. Put simply, Russia has always had too much state and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/the-great-drama-of-russian-history-has-been-between-its-state-and/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [Vladimir Putin is a dictator. He's not a leader. Anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't know Russian history and they don't know Vladimir Putin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/vladimir-putin-is-a-dictator-he-s-not-a-leader-anybody-who-thinks-2/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [“Lucitta knew Russian politics, and discussed how Trotsky was compelled by Stalin’s régime to deny many of his beliefs. It seemed that Mella, believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/lucitta-knew-russian-politics-and-discussed-how-trotsky-was-compelled/) [Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/) > [I am proud of Russia and I am sure that the vast majority of Russian citizens have great love and respect for their Motherland.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-am-proud-of-russia-and-i-am-sure-that-the-vast-majority-of-russian/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [“Two fateful questions interpret more than eleven hundred years of Russian history: “What is to be done?” and “Who is to blame?” But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-fulton/two-fateful-questions-interpret-more-than-eleven-hundred-years-of/) [Matt Fulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-fulton/) > [With a rumble and a roar, an iron curtain is descending on Russian history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-rozanov/with-a-rumble-and-a-roar-an-iron-curtain-is-descending-on-russian/) [Vasily Rozanov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-rozanov/) > [I studied Russian history at school, and I absolutely loved St Petersburg. It was magnificent - the architecture is incredible and has quite a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-studied-russian-history-at-school-and-i-absolutely-loved-st/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [Besides numerous science courses, I had the opportunity to study philosophy, the history of architecture, economics, and Russian history in courses taught by extraordinarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/besides-numerous-science-courses-i-had-the-opportunity-to-study/) [Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/) > [“July is a bad month for revolutionaries. In France, Robespierre was executed in July; in Russia, five eminent Decembrists, who had revolted against Nicholas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-radzinsky/july-is-a-bad-month-for-revolutionaries-in-france-robespierre-was/) [Edvard Radzinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-radzinsky/) > [The clash between the aspirations of the people for a better life and the insistence of their rulers on building a powerful state, regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/the-clash-between-the-aspirations-of-the-people-for-a-better-life-and/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [I think often people know about Rasputin in Russian history - but know only a little bit. He's an interesting man, who in general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-think-often-people-know-about-rasputin-in-russian-history-but-know/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## More by Daniel Fried > [We're a little bit low in the 1970s, right, post-Vietnam, Watergate era, malaise, all that, but this is more like the 1930s where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-re-a-little-bit-low-in-the-1970s-right-post-vietnam-watergate-era/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think, Russia is pushing against the West in general, not just the United States but the institutions of the West, the key governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-russia-is-pushing-against-the-west-in-general-not-just-the/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [ \[Russians\] want to bring us down to make them feel better about the failure of the Soviet Union. I don't mean bring us down… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-want-to-bring-us-down-to-make-them-feel-better-about-the/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [It was my honor to have done what I could do to help. I learned to never underestimate the possibility of change, that values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/it-was-my-honor-to-have-done-what-i-could-do-to-help-i-learned-to/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think that Hillary Clinton has an appreciation that American power needs to be put in the service of American values, which is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-that-hillary-clinton-has-an-appreciation-that-american-power/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [The West in its modern form since 1945 is a miracle, and that's in our American interests. It's its good that the West is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/the-west-in-its-modern-form-since-1945-is-a-miracle-and-that-s-in-our/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Nothing can be taken for granted and this great achievement is now under assault by Russia. But what we did in my time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/nothing-can-be-taken-for-granted-and-this-great-achievement-is-now/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Two World Wars are sufficient and we are the ones who supported this notion of a united Europe, so there would never be another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/two-world-wars-are-sufficient-and-we-are-the-ones-who-supported-this/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [George W. Bush tried working with the Russians after 9/11; Obama had the reset. Both presidents achieved less than they wanted, but they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/george-w-bush-tried-working-with-the-russians-after-9-11-obama-had/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I am not one of these people that believes that Russia is doomed, or somehow, you know, inevitably disposed to act according to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-am-not-one-of-these-people-that-believes-that-russia-is-doomed-or/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think that President George W. Bush was ahead of most of his government, in realizing that Putin was not the person we thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-that-president-george-w-bush-was-ahead-of-most-of-his/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [ In my view, \[Vladimir\] Putin despises the West in general and the United States in particular, both for who we are, our liberal values,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/in-my-view-vladimir-putin-despises-the-west-in-general-and-the-united/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [ \[Russians would like to\] undermine the West and its institutions, create doubts about NATO, create doubts about the European Union, support nationalists on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-would-like-to-undermine-the-west-and-its-institutions-create/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Republicans - Reagan but also George W. Bush - believed in freedom, and they believed in America's role. To have the governing party speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/republicans-reagan-but-also-george-w-bush-believed-in-freedom-and/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [At least in my country, we have come to accept the flags burning, but what we cannot accept is violence, burning of embassies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/at-least-in-my-country-we-have-come-to-accept-the-flags-burning-but/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) [Explore all 77 Daniel Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) ## More Aggression quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. That's because I was hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-used-to-fight-with-hate-there-s-been-a-lot-of-aggression-in-my-past/) [Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/) > [We have nothing in our history or position to invite aggression; we have everything to beckon us to the cultivation of relations of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-nothing-in-our-history-or-position-to-invite-aggression-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-take-up-the-standpoint-that-the-tendency-to-aggression-is-an-innate/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [“That which is of great value cannot be attained through aggression. You will be able to find the mystery of life only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/that-which-is-of-great-value-cannot-be-attained-through-aggression/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [I can remember watching MTV Cribs - these amazing houses - and looking around my house where there was no carpet on the floors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bugzy-malone/i-can-remember-watching-mtv-cribs-these-amazing-houses-and-looking/) [Bugzy Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bugzy-malone/) > [Nationalism, on my opinion, is nothing more than an idealistic rationalization for militarism and aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nationalism-on-my-opinion-is-nothing-more-than-an-idealistic/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I really like battle ropes. They're so versatile; you can get a terrific workout doing a ton of different exercises with them. My clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-really-like-battle-ropes-they-re-so-versatile-you-can-get-a/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) [Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empress-dowager-cixi/) > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [This is passive-aggression in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/this-is-passive-aggression-in-action/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-hits-a-child-we-call-it-aggression-when-a-child-hits-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Major international interventions are doomed unless the US is directly or indirectly involved. But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) [Browse all 860 Aggression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live according to its worst traditions. In fact, in Russian history, failed efforts at external aggression, when they fail, usually bring on areas of internal reform.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Fried" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doomed-to-live-according-to-its/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aggression" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doomed-to-live-according-to-its/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/daniel-fried-8925_aggression_we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doom_1899842.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We should not assume that Russia is doomed to live according to its worst traditions. In fact, in Russian…” — Daniel Fried", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Fried", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We should not assume that Russia...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doomed-to-live-according-to-its/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-should-not-assume-that-russia-is-doomed-to-live-according-to-its/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```