“I used to be very shy and avoided all company. My books and my lessons were my sole companions. To be at school at the stroke of the hour and to run back home as soon as the school closed—that was my daily habit. I literally ran back, because I could not bear to talk to anybody. I was even afraid lest anyone should poke fun at me.”

It’s easy to forget that Mahatma Gandhi—one of history’s most inspiring leaders and thinkers—was also a flawed, sometimes-insecure human being, just like us. This profile is a fascinating reminder that Gandhi wasn’t born with the knowledge that his name would become synonymous with peace. He doubted himself, worried about other people’s perceptions of him, and even caved in to fashion trends in an attempt to fit in. (I really wish we had photographic evidence of Gandhi in a top hat and spats.)

When he embraced his true nature, however, he recognized that his natural shyness and introversion was actually a virtue. It allowed him, he said, to grow. By listening, he found the truth.