Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi — all these people described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy. And they all took the spotlight, even though every bone in their bodies was telling them not to.

Source: "The Power of Introverts." TED2012. Feb. 2012. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote means that many inspirational leaders who accomplished great things for mankind were introverts, i.e., they were naturally inclined to be solitary. In the TED Talk this quote is from, author Susan Cain explains that while most of our institutions are geared toward extroverts, introverts have many favorable characteristics and gifts to contribute to society, and can also make great leaders. Watch the full TED Talk here: Susan Cain - The Power of Introverts