The monsters under your bed and in your closet are long gone. Now your nightmare is packed with the shadow of this faceless skinny human, with abnormally long sleeves, wearing an absolutely immaculately ironed suit. You can practically miss those Boogieman days. Never fear, wikiHow is here. To overcome your fear of Slenderman, read on.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Your Logic
Step 1. Know that you can beat it
Sure, maybe he's 2.1 m tall, but he's like a stick. You know his name, Slender man? It's because he's skinny, VERY THIN! And he was probably a geek in high school, which is why he acts like a 'scary masked man'. You can really kick his flat ass if he comes at you.
Think of some of the names that are equivalent to Slenderman and how downright less scary they are. Fatboy. Voluptuousgirl. Pear-shaped androgynous person. Is it true? Are you going to let a guy named Slenderman scare you? Come on. You can do better than that
Step 2. Think about the background
Let's learn what we know about this person (which, admittedly, is very little). He wears a suit every day. What kind of person wears a suit every day? Either he is a very educated person and has a job that pays well or he is Barney Stinson. Let's consider these two theories:
- Slenderman is rich and educated. If this is the case, chances are he is open for some reason. Chances are he's a Democrat, he prefers to sit near the aisle on airplanes, doesn't eat too much fast food, watches little television and likes to listen to audiobooks on his way to work. Now that you know his tendencies, you can start a conversation! Humans are only afraid of the unknown. Knowing that he might have voted for Barack Obama last year and brought snacks of quinoa and dried apples to the polls made him a little less scary.
- Slenderman is a misunderstood Barney Stinson. If this was the case, perhaps sneaking into the house sinisterly was the move he would take. The man was just trying to get a little affection. Can you really blame him? Come on, even a mother wouldn't like her face, let alone a woman who wasn't her family. Life might be really hard for him. He needs understanding and care.
Step 3. Think about his death
Think about the other part of his name, Slender man. He is a man. He has hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities and desires, many of which may not be fulfilled, just like any other human being. Well, he wandered around the woods with no one to talk to. What a terrible fate! He may pray for death every day, but it never comes.
- Slenderman will die. That is if, you believe he is alive (more on that later). He hasn't lived since the height of the Egyptian empire and he can't haunt you forever. In fact, he may have colds several times a year. He is just like any other human. He is just a living being.
- Names ending in -man are of German origin. If you see one, start a conversation about pretzels, beer or the current economic crisis. You may want to avoid talking about World War II. For the record, Slenderman may be of Jewish descent. No one had ever seen him in the synagogue, but maybe that was because he looked terrible in a yarmulke.
Step 4. Imagine the hug
Do you know how many people Slenderman can hug at once? How amazing would it be to be in a group of half a dozen people, all sharing the same hug at the same time?! Think about the attachment! The arms can wrap around you and keep you warm for a very long time. The thing you have to do is to get on the bright side.
It's very likely that Slenderman never gets many hugs; many would probably be intimidated by its inhuman proportions or its tentacleless appearance. The next time you dream about Slenderman, think about hugging him. Maybe he'll start whining like a baby and talk to you about how he was called "Octopus Boy" as a kid
Step 5. Recognize that its existence is almost nonsensical
This person has no eyes, nose, mouth or ears. Think about it. He can't see you, kiss you, breathe on you or hear you. Think about it now. If someone put you in the woods unarmed with your eyes closed, your ears and nose cut off, and your mouth plastered, how strong would you be? It won't be too strong. Even the squirrels will be able to beat you.
Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, he probably has a sixth sense or something like that. Maybe he can see dead people. So, yes, he can teleport. That's an awesome thing. We'll talk more about that in a moment. However, even if he does have a sixth sense, you still have 4 other senses that he doesn't have
Step 6. Draw him as a squid
The tentacle arms that popped out of his back looked delicious. Not suggesting you're a cannibal, but if you eat Slenderman (think extra batter and deep fried)… yummy. wikiHow can help you here with articles on cooking squid and frying squid. You don't have to eat it, but it will make for an interesting activity.
If you manage to get to Slenderman close enough to be able to decapitate one of his tentacle arms, you may just want to do it to make him go away for good. If you're the one who cut off one of his arms, chances are he'll come at you like Richard Kimball chasing a one-armed man
Method 2 of 3: Taking Action
Step 1. Do your research
He's not real, so why be afraid? He is a meme created in 2009 by a man named Victor Surge on the Something Awful forum. It turns out that Victor Surge is named "Eric" and lives in Japan. Maybe Eric has a mermaid girlfriend named Ariel and spends most of his time on the boat. Scary.
Slenderman is part of a contest. Part of a contest held by amateur artists interested in Photoshop and the paranormal world. He is a figment of the imagination of a man (Eric!) and based on that, thousands of people have created their own stories
Step 2. Make the calculations
There is very little actual evidence that can be traced back in history to anything related to Slenderman (whatever little evidence there is is also fabricated). So, despite popular belief, he wasn't real. And if he really exists, think about it. There are about 7 billion people in the world and as many places as there are, actually many more, where he could possibly be (if he were for real). How likely is it that he will come to you?
What makes you so special that Slenderman will appear at your door? Unless you provide her with milk and chocolate biscuits, chances are she won't come. Think of him as Santa Claus (unless you believe in Santa). How long does it take you to say, "Mom, Dad. There's no way Santa can reach all the houses in the world in 8 hours, especially with the time it takes to climb the chimney. I know it's you guys"? It's the same thing, only he doesn't have a burst of laughter or a rumbling stomach like a bowl full of jelly
Step 3. Use him as a Portkey
If you think about it, Slenderman would make a pretty cool superhero. He can appear anywhere randomly! How sweet isn't it?! All you have to do is approach him, hook yourself up to him and wait for him to teleport. Like a Portkey in Harry Potter. In fact, maybe he can teach you how to do it!
When you start being able to teleport, you will become very popular. Slenderman could be your ticket to power. All you have to do now is think about whether you will use your powers for good or evil
Step 4. Use him as a TARDIS
Not only does it seem like Slenderman can teleport, but he can also time travel. You know how you walk around the forest at night and then suddenly you wake up during the day? What's with that? Oh yes, Slenderman is a TARDIS. You want to go back and re-test the Chemistry? No problem friend.
The jury is still not around to determine whether he will move forward in time or backwards. Science says that traveling back in time is impossible, but even Stephen Hawking says forward time travel is possible (if you move fast enough, time will slow down around you while it stays "normal" elsewhere). With Slenderman obeying the laws of physics on Earth, he will move forward in time. So, oops, the Chemistry test won't take place. Excuse me
Step 5. Find the source of the scary sound
Sitting huddled in a corner, under your blankets while plugging your ears to listen will only make you hear more sounds. Instead, wake up! Go find the source. Maybe you have mice. If you hear a strange sound or whisper out of nowhere, don't automatically associate it with Slenderman. Chances are it wasn't him.
Slenderman doesn't really make any noise. If you do hear a voice, it's something but not Slenderman. Big Foot makes noise - maybe that's him
Step 6. Act like he is your best friend forever
"Hey, Slenderman! What's up my friend?" Imagine if he was there, you would have a simple party. Go with the flow and eat some Doritos. If nothing else, he will be frightened at first by your warmth and intelligence. No one else has had such a welcoming and inviting reception!
You may need some low-calorie snacks and bottled water on hand. Slenderman really pays attention to his weight. The Tortilla Chips are just for you. Offer him or her as a courtesy, but keep alternatives in case
Method 3 of 3: Controlling Your Emotions
Step 1. Face the demon within yourself
You have to be willing to face it. If you don't find the courage to let go of your fear, then you may never overcome it. Since it is highly doubtful that you will ever meet him, remind yourself that the real fear is fear itself. You know he's not real, you're just paranoid assuming he exists. Is there something else that you're really afraid of? Do a little analysis on yourself. You may not be afraid of suits, tall people or thin people. What's the bigger problem now?
That's definitely easier said than done. To begin dealing with the demons that are haunting you, grab a notebook and start analyzing your fears. When did it start? Where did that come from? When did it get worse? When does it occur (when you are alone, when you are sad, etc.)? Seeing your own patterns will force you to realize how much of this is just in your head and completely unfounded
Step 2. Overcome your fear by facing it
Say you are afraid of spiders. One day, put yourself in a room, 3.7 m away from a spider until you feel okay with the condition. Next day, 3.0 m away. A week later, you sit next to him. Finally, the spider is in your hands and you feel fine with the condition. Anything can get used to enough time. That's why the Taylor Swift song you originally hated is tolerable now.
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This process is called deconditioning. It's a thing and it can work. So start the game. When you face Slenderman, sit there. Look at him. Don't run away. Just stand there until your heart rate slows down. You may not believe it, but slowly you will start to get tired of it. You'll wonder what scared you in the first place.
Start doing this gradually. Monday, do it for 5 minutes. Tuesday, 10 minutes. Eventually, you won't be able to be moved by it at all
Step 3. Calm yourself
If you panic and run around the house every time you think he's there, don't allow yourself to do that. If you think he's behind you in the basement, take a deep breath, sing your favorite song and quietly walk up the stairs. Your body often signals your mind (and not the other way around), so if your body stays calm, your mind will likely follow suit too.
Breathe. Breathe slowly and deeply. This will slow down your heart rate, think about other things and be more reassuring that he's not following you. When you are in control, breathe easy, your anxiety will automatically decrease
Step 4. Strengthen yourself
Alright, so most of these articles have been making fun of Slenderman. But if you are really afraid of him, all the jokes in the world will not help. The only thing that will help is to strengthen yourself. You are afraid of the image of him according to you. Not what he is or what he is capable of. If you change your image of him, you will no longer be afraid of him. Realize that you have that power.
Do you know some people who are afraid of heights, enclosed spaces, or clowns? And how can other people not be afraid of those things? Fear is not in everyone's head. When you start imagining Slenderman in his white tights, sleeping like a baby in a fetal position, you start to take control of yourself and take it back from him. Next time you meet him, never offer him Doritos again. You hold the power
Tips
- Tell yourself about all the things that protect you when you feel afraid. For example, "My dog loves me and will always protect me."
- Look at her pictures. Then you'll realize that he's not that scary. Especially if you imagine him taking a selfie or imitating a duck face.
- Look outside and look for the forest. If there is no forest, then that means he is not there. If there is a forest, go into it with a friend. If you are afraid of the night, go into the woods in the morning or evening before dark. Be careful, sometimes the forest becomes a refuge for the bad guys. Know your area, have a map and stick with a friend.
