If you’ve got a talent, protect it.

Carrey’s line frames talent as something both valuable and vulnerable: an innate capacity that can be eroded by ridicule, exploitation, distraction, or self-doubt if it isn’t actively safeguarded. “Protect it” implies boundaries and stewardship—choosing environments, collaborators, and habits that let ability develop rather than be consumed for quick approval or short-term gain. The quote also hints at the psychological side of creativity: preserving confidence, playfulness, and risk-taking, which are often the first casualties of harsh criticism or commercial pressure. In this reading, protecting talent is not hiding it, but creating conditions where it can mature into craft and sustain a long career.