Simple

I was in class the other day and a teacher said that when people try to look smart it probably means that they aren't. So what does that mean for me? For years I've tried to look smart, for years I've tried to seem complex. I wanted others to perceive me as someone who they could never measure up to because they never really understood who I was as a person. But if what he is saying is that simple is equivalent to being smart then what have I been doing my whole life? I've been eliciting how ignorant I am, people have been looking at me the exact way I was afraid they would this whole time. What am I supposed to do now?