Can you be considered pretty and smart at the same time?

DISCLAIMER: Being pretty is not about how society feels of you but how you feel about yourself. This post is strictly on my experience with how society feels about me and how it relates to my intelligence. Society's norms on beauty are never right which of course goes with the theme of this post. You all are beautiful, never forget that.

Growing up we all have had our ups and downs about how we feel about ourselves and our looks. Society's forever changing standards of beauty makes it hard for us women to feel good about ourselves all the time. Personally, I have realized this flaw and feel as though I have finally gotten myself to a point where I am happy with my looks and level of self confidence. But at the same time there has never been a a moment where I thought I wasn't intelligent. Which leads to my question, can you be considered smart and pretty at the same time? Growing up if another person felt as though I was pretty they automatically felt as though I wasn't smart. I always receive comments like "Wow, you're really smart for a pretty girl!" or "I would never think you would be this smart!" Although it is a great compliment that someone feels I am pretty, the following comment always makes it an insult. I have always struggled gaining respect from my intelligent peers or even my teachers because they associate my looks with my "lack of" intelligence. I always have to go out of my way to make a point or prove myself of my intelligence. I feel as though society makes you pick between two extremes, being pretty or being smart. If you choose beauty over brains, then you get the respect and the attention of men and approval from society. But with that choice you give up your brains and automatically get demoted down to being stupid or dumb. But if you choose brains over beauty society makes you out to be ugly and scary. You might get less attention from the boys or less approval from society.

My question is, why do women have to make a choice between having less confidence in one area or having less confidence in another? Ultimately, society puts women in a "lose lose" situation. Why can't we all just be beautifully intelligent in our own way? Society fails to realize that our lives are not just black and white but have shades of grey as well.

Have you had the same experience as me? Do you agree or disagree? Comment down below your thoughts on my post.