Very classy statement from a "reserved guy".
Yes, you're right, though. Armstrong was a very quiet, low profiled, highly intelligent, extremely capable, articulate man who did the USA proud as an unofficial, international ambassador of American sixties en seventies values. Very disciplined, kept himself contained in the face of unimaginable invasive, intrusive crowds demanding his attention. All he ever wanted was to fly. The limelight to him was what limelight truly is, a load of unwanted, useless baggage.
Armstrong was a different being, not better or worse, just different. The way he dealt with the pressure was to come back into society and keep a low profile. He managed to be a college professor soon after retiring from NASA and tried to hold a normal balanced lifestyle. He was incredibly protective of his family and his privacy!
I have also heard he was influenced by Lindbergh (his advice on fame and how to handle it).
How could someone like Armstrong not want to be interviewed and be in 'the public eye'?
Well he was born in the thirties in a less material world which did not see fame as the 'be all and end all' of life, I guess.