Men and women are not born inconstant: they are made so by their early amorous experiences.

Maurois’s aphorism argues against the idea that fickleness in love is an inborn trait. Instead, it frames “inconstancy” as learned behavior—shaped by formative romantic encounters that reward novelty, normalize betrayal, or teach emotional self-protection. The emphasis on “early amorous experiences” suggests a psychological and social view of character: patterns established in youth can harden into adult habits. The line also implies moral and educational stakes: if inconstancy is made rather than born, then it is potentially preventable (through healthier models of attachment) and, at least in part, reversible through reflection and changed experience.