Most Jews are not on the level where they are ready to act like Tzaddikim. (Though we are all called Tzaddikim.) Most of us think of our bodies as ourselves, and our souls as dwelling within us. (As opposed to the Tzaddikim, who recognise themselves as the souls, and their bodies as their clothes. According to the Tanya.)
When we dress in costumes, we have the ability to become whatever our heart truly desires. We are exposing that which was formerly hidden within us.
This means that on purim, our insides become our outsides, and our outsides become our insides, this is a complete reversal, typical of the Purim atmosphere. ונהפוכו
On purim also, we put on costumes, for a change we become the pnimiyut, the inner essence, instead of the chitzoniut, the external/superficial. In this way we also become like the Tzaddikim. As we explained before, Rebbe Nachman says that when we rise to new levels we are pushed to the outside, and need to work our way inwards. In the Tzeital HaKatan the Noam Elimelech says that we can rise to new levels every forty days if we work at it.
On purim, every Jew can overcome his existing challenges by dressing up. The costume allows the Jew to move inward to surpass his existing level. Simply dressing up on purim allows us to overcome the klipah and push it to the outside. [my own chidush, until I find a makor for it.]
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