“But above all we must remember this: on the one hand, lying is often a trait of characters; on the other hand, in women who would not otherwise be liars, it is a natural defense, be liars, it is a natural defense, improvised at first, then more and more organized, against that sudden danger which would be capable of destroying a life: love.”

This passage stood out to me because I think proust is saying that women who are not natural liars, lie to protect themselves from love. Any one lies to protect themselves from love, not just women. It can’t be blamed on a particular sex, it’s the individual. The character that Proust writes about who are “destroyed” by the love of these women characters are dramatic if you ask me. They get so caught up in the obsession that they forget that these women initially ignored them and didn’t show any interest. But they go on and obsess and then eventually lose their minds trying to get over them after the fact or can’t get enough of them. Just saying.