For decades, society has taught that men should be bigger, stronger and in a higher position of power than women, who ‘should be’ soft-spoken housewives. When women show that they are more than what they are perceived to be, people are often scared off by their intelligence. Why do we live in a world where it is scary for a woman to be smart, but sexy and normal for a man to be intelligent?

Women usually don’t ask for what they deserve, but when they are assertive, they are branded as aggressive, domineering or ambitious. People can’t handle women’s ambition and their need for success in all areas of her their life. A woman's success scares people because they don’t feel that they can measure up to it.

A woman who is capable of doing everything for herself can intimidate men in particular. When people are surrounded by an independent woman, she can expose weaknesses in other people and challenge their abilities. No one wants to be ‘shown up’ by another person, but our society has made it a weakness for a woman to ‘show up’ a guy or rather outsmart him.

Insecurity plays a huge role in this intimidation. Someone that is not sure of him or herself and lacks self-confidence will feel more intimidated by a woman that is smart and confident. While independence is an important trait to have, often women can be so independent that they come across as if they do not need anyone else. Although this may not be the case, a self-assured personality accompanied by a steady, settled lifestyle can make other people feel as though there is no place for them in the woman’s life.

Regardless of how intimidating you may seem, you should never dumb yourself down. You should never sacrifice your right to an opinion or mask your true personality. You do not have to make yourself act a certain way to draw others in. You did not get your smarts just to pretend to be stupid for people to like you.

Your education level will change over time – you will learn new things and you will forget some of what you know right now. You could lose your job, drop out of school, or start a new company. That’s just how life works. You can’t please everyone, but one thing you should never be ashamed of is your intelligence.