You find out in life that people really like you funny. So what do you give 'em? Humor. And then if you show them the other side they don't like you as much. I find too that I can hide behind the idiot's mask being funny and you never see the sorrow or the pain.
People can try to reinvent themselves. I don't think you can really change who you are though because who you are is pretty much where you came from and what you've done up to now.