Why clowning might actually be good

Clowning. 

Whether or not it’s used to describe myself or my friends, I’ve come across this phrase many, many times. Just like the jester with a painted face and flamboyant clothes, many of us are accused of acting foolishly, thus labelled with this term. Frankly speaking, I didn’t really give this phrase much thought at first. It just felt like another common slang that spawned out of nowhere. However, as time went on and life got harder, I reflected and realised how vital clowning might just be in our lives. 

Of course I sound like a clown right now, writing this piece is already an act of clowning. But just because a word has negative connotations doesn’t mean it can’t be viewed positively. 

In my (extremely honest and unbiased) opinion, clowning is just another form of temporarily escaping from reality. Yes, life hits us with all sorts of struggles, and everyone needs a way to cope. For some of us, clowning provides respite from the piling stress, allowing us to still smile and laugh even in the darkest of times. To make myself clear, I do not mean that clowning is a false facade to mask our true feelings — I just want to say that people can be clowning to stay positive. By being able to smile or just stay a little happy when faced with challenges, clowning lets us realise that life may not be as horrible as we thought. Acting senselessly (without doing anything illegal, of course) takes our mind off the things that are troubling us, allowing us to feel safe and relaxed. It lets us cool down from life’s never-ending pressure, anxiety, hassle, and so on. 

Fundamentally, a clown’s job is to make people laugh. Clowning, similarly, can bring a sparkle of joy into our lives. Not to put down other forms of entertainment, but personally, I feel that clowning might just be the easiest way to make others happy. You don’t need to find any resources, you don’t need to properly think about the other party’s needs, all you need to do is to display your inner comedic genius. Don’t worry, even if you don’t trust your sense of humour, there will always be someone out there who finds you funny. Clowning, or to put it simply: being comical, can significantly improve your mental and physical health. Ultimately, it can remarkably brighten any atmosphere, no matter how stale or moody it is. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list as to why clowning is good for you, there are definitely many more benefits to it – it facilitates your creativity, helps you deal with embarrassment, improves your social skills, just to name a few. I’m not asking you to immediately start clowning right after reading this, because that would have been unnaturally funny (and this is not said with positive undertones). Realistically speaking, everyone would have clowned at some point in their lives, intentionally or unintentionally. I don't want to sound cheesy here, but we should all embrace the idea of clowning, and perhaps change our perspectives about it. 

Whether or not you originally hated the idea, I just hope that everyone gets a better understanding of why clowning might just be an integral part of our lives. You don't need to intentionally keep clowning, let it come naturally, and who knows, you might just brighten up someone's day :)

Nicole Lim 

4 Loyalty 

2025