I’m Pretty, So I Must Be Stupid

That’s the unspoken rule, right?

Wear makeup, care about how you look, post a selfie — suddenly your brain must be decorative, not functional.

I’ve seen the looks.

Heard the backhanded compliments.

Felt the need to “prove” myself in rooms where I was already overqualified.

Because how could a woman be sharp and soft?

Beautiful and strategic?

Stylish and deeply spiritual?

We’re expected to choose one box and shrink into it.

But I’ve never fit into boxes—especially not the ones built by other people’s insecurities.

So yes, I’m pretty.

And I’m educated.

And I’m ambitious.

And I’m emotionally intelligent.

And I still take mirror selfies.

The truth is—people project what they can’t handle.

And what they usually can’t handle is a woman who’s both powerful and self-aware.

So no, I’m not stupid.

I’m just not interested in dulling myself down to make others feel smart.

Not anymore.