Yeah, he didn't want to be used as other people's "saviour" or their political icon. Seems to me that he mainly just wanted to play live music, that's all, and to do it well. He did admire Woody Guthrie and many other classic musicians tremendously, and in his early career you can see him adopting very Guthrie-esque themes in his songs. Woody Guthrie came across as a social crusader in many songs, so it's not surprising that Dylan did also, considering how much he patterned his early career on Woody Guthrie. The fact that Dylan's early career happened at a time of great historical ferment among young people intent on challenging and changing the political and social system, and at the time of a very unpopular foreign war, was what catapulted Dylan, quite unwillingly, into the (perceived) role of "leader" or "prophet" of the youth movement.

As such, it must have all taken him rather by surprise.