I admire clowns 🤡
I often hear people using the word “clown” as an insult these days.
It’s kind of strange to me because I know what a real clown actually is.
Clowns can laugh at themselves. I’d argue they’re some of the most humble souls on this planet.
And yet we call people clowns as an insult.
There’s some pretty cool documentaries and interviews with actual clowns and they seem pretty cool.
Obviously there’s always outliers and no 2 clowns are the same but there’s a cool line from the movie The Dark Knight.
The Joker asks Batman: “Why so serious?”
The Scarecrow gives The Batman some advice: “You look like a man who takes himself too seriously…..you want my advice, you need to lighten up”
Obviously these were villains asking a self-sacrificing hero these questions but we really shouldn’t discount such questions when we have a society that is so hell-bent on appearing like we always got it all together or that we’re flawless or damn near perfect.
It’s actually something I’m still working on myself. I’m practicing more humility and it’s a powerful antidote to isolation and unpleasant interactions with other human beings.
Just today I caught myself reacting to seemingly trivial everyday situations in a manner which I didn’t like. Not that I did anything bad or said anything bad but the thoughts that initially crossed my mind disgusted me.
“Do I dare ask for help reaching that item that’s up there?”, “Do I dare let this driver pass before me?, “Do I dare laugh at myself after slipping and falling?”, “Do I dare ask for guidance on how to do something for the first time?”
Why does it have to feel like a dare?
I admire clowns because they’re humble enough to allow themselves to be seen.
Anyway, just an observation I made. I’m not too sure where the negative connections with clowns originated, perhaps it’s just the very essence of being a clown. We are always striving for strength / power and I understand why but there’s definitely a strength and power that clowns possess in their vulnerability.
It’s kind of strange to me because I know what a real clown actually is.
Clowns can laugh at themselves. I’d argue they’re some of the most humble souls on this planet.
And yet we call people clowns as an insult.
There’s some pretty cool documentaries and interviews with actual clowns and they seem pretty cool.
Obviously there’s always outliers and no 2 clowns are the same but there’s a cool line from the movie The Dark Knight.
The Joker asks Batman: “Why so serious?”
The Scarecrow gives The Batman some advice: “You look like a man who takes himself too seriously…..you want my advice, you need to lighten up”
Obviously these were villains asking a self-sacrificing hero these questions but we really shouldn’t discount such questions when we have a society that is so hell-bent on appearing like we always got it all together or that we’re flawless or damn near perfect.
It’s actually something I’m still working on myself. I’m practicing more humility and it’s a powerful antidote to isolation and unpleasant interactions with other human beings.
Just today I caught myself reacting to seemingly trivial everyday situations in a manner which I didn’t like. Not that I did anything bad or said anything bad but the thoughts that initially crossed my mind disgusted me.
“Do I dare ask for help reaching that item that’s up there?”, “Do I dare let this driver pass before me?, “Do I dare laugh at myself after slipping and falling?”, “Do I dare ask for guidance on how to do something for the first time?”
Why does it have to feel like a dare?
I admire clowns because they’re humble enough to allow themselves to be seen.
Anyway, just an observation I made. I’m not too sure where the negative connections with clowns originated, perhaps it’s just the very essence of being a clown. We are always striving for strength / power and I understand why but there’s definitely a strength and power that clowns possess in their vulnerability.
26-30, M
