Everyone has talent. What's rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.

Jong contrasts the near-universality of ability with the scarcity of bravery. “Talent” is framed as common potential, while the decisive factor is the willingness to pursue one’s gift beyond comfort—into “dark places” that suggest fear, shame, social disapproval, psychological pain, or morally complicated material. For artists and writers especially, the line implies that serious work often requires confronting taboo subjects and private truths rather than staying in safe, marketable territory. The quote also broadens beyond art: any vocation or calling may demand risk, solitude, and self-examination. In this view, courage—not aptitude—is what turns latent talent into authentic achievement.