s ▁l onel iness ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁ ▁" the ▁l onel iness ▁of ▁the ▁artist ▁who ▁cra ves ▁companion ship ▁but ▁also ▁reject s ▁it ". ▁He ▁points ▁out ▁she ▁had ▁" exception al ▁powers ▁of ▁disc ern ment " ▁and ▁probably ▁al ien ated ▁the ▁other ▁women , ▁about ▁ 1 5 ▁or ▁ 1 6 ▁of ▁whom ▁she ▁describes ▁in ▁her ▁di ary . ▁Although ▁she ▁adds ▁pra ise ▁for ▁each ▁woman , ▁her ▁criticism ▁is ▁more ▁memor able ▁because ▁she ▁saw ▁through ▁and ▁described ▁their ▁fla ws . ▁▁ ▁Her ▁ins ights ▁did ▁not ▁ende ar ▁her ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁women ▁at ▁a ▁court ▁where ▁intr igue , ▁drama ▁and ▁sch em ing ▁was ▁the ▁norm , ▁yet ▁for ▁a ▁novel ist ▁it ▁was ▁cru cial . ▁He ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁she ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁al o of ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁continue ▁writing , ▁but ▁equally ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁intens ely ▁private , ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁" ch ose ▁not ▁to ▁reve al ▁her ▁true ▁qual ities " ▁except ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁earned ▁her ▁trust ▁and ▁respect , ▁as ▁Sh ō sh i ▁had . ▁ ▁The ▁di ary ▁includes ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁other ▁ladies - in - wait ing ▁who ▁were ▁writers , ▁most ▁not ably ▁Se i ▁Sh ō n agon , ▁ ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁service ▁to ▁Sh ō sh i ' s ▁rival ▁and ▁co - em press , ▁Em press ▁Te ishi ▁( S ad ako ). ▁The ▁two ▁courts