In my opinion, Clark and Superman represent two sides of the same person, rather than a mask serving one or the other. Both identities have a place in his life; Clark was the identity he was raised in while Superman was an identity he chose, and both are equally part of him. The DCAU captures this interpretation well: if Clark doesn't get to be Clark at least part of the time (and be his own person), he's not going to have the mental fortitude to be Superman. In a way, being Clark is his own release from the expectations and pressure that come with being a "beacon of hope and goodness" type hero. Clark is him as a person, and Superman represents his best attributes amplified.