The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win.

What it means

In the myths the treasure is always guarded by a dragon. Jung read the dragon as the inner forces that keep us small and comfortable. What is most worth having is won by facing them.

The source

"The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win." Carl Jung said it in Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part II, ch. VII 'The Dual Mother Role'. Translated by Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916.

"Here, indeed, is the source of all creation, but it demands heroic courage to fight against these forces and to wrest from them the "treasure difficult to attain." He who succeeds in this has, in truth, attained the best."

Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part II, ch. VII 'The Dual Mother Role'. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Carl Jung (1875–1961). Swiss psychiatrist who broke with Freud and founded analytical psychology. He mapped the persona, the shadow, the collective unconscious and the lifelong work of becoming yourself, which he called individuation. Our lines come only from his writings published before 1931, in our own translations from the German or in English translations of the time.

Questions

What does "The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win." mean?

In the myths the treasure is always guarded by a dragon. Jung read the dragon as the inner forces that keep us small and comfortable. What is most worth having is won by facing them.

Who said "The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win."?

Carl Jung (1875–1961). Source: Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part II, ch. VII 'The Dual Mother Role'.

What is the original wording?

Here, indeed, is the source of all creation, but it demands heroic courage to fight against these forces and to wrest from them the "treasure difficult to attain." He who succeeds in this has, in truth, attained the best (Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916). Translated by Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916.

Is "The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"The treasure hard to attain takes heroic courage to win." (Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part II, ch. VII 'The Dual Mother Role', trans. Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-treasure-hard-to-attain-takes-heroic-courage