Jan 6, 2012

Missing the Point Entirely

I read something recently that made me kind of slap my head. Maybe it's one of those things where I'm the only one that sees the counter-logic? Or perhaps rather where I'm one of the few who sees it? Since that's a bit less egotistical of a statement. XP So since M isn't around to really handle this himself, in terms much more easily understood than I'll probably use, I suppose I'll have to step up and explain this for him.

Put simply, up front, for those of you too lazy to read big long paragraphs (assuming I actually ramble on that long about this... I mean I just started typing, this could go anywhere), the point of my present argument is this... "Get Up High does not equate to Ground Level Elevations."

That's not too hard to understand right? Basically, the argument I saw... and if you realize you're the one I'm picking on, Soooooooooorrrrrrrrryyyyyyy... that since there was evidence to suggest that the Construct had once appeared and perhaps frequently visited the peak of a one of the tallest mountains in the world, that the concept of "Get up high" must be debunked. Here is the basis of my counter-arguement... Though certainly the mountain you are standing on is most certainly "up high" in terms of geological elevation, the simple fact of the matter is that you're still standing on the GROUND.

Now, though I'm gradually shifting my opinion of the Constructs nature and intelligence as I gain more information, I still generally assume it to be an element most in tune with nature and the natural order of things. I mean, what's his favorite place? The Woods. What's he most associated with? Trees. And this is not even getting into the long topic of The Path that he travels and it's Black Leaves. As such, I find myself acting under the general assumption that the Construct has no issues at all traveling about through the Earth's natural environments. Where the problem springs up is when he encounters something man-made. These structures are unnatural, foreign objects in his domain. They interfere with his vision and his natural means of travel. They're obstacles that hinder his movement. Hence, what you're looking for when you're trying to "Get up high" isn't the lonely shack on top of a mountain, but the 60 story skyscraper downtown.

And yes, these tactics still don't always work, but it isn't necessarily because the theory or "the rule" or whatever you want to call it is wrong, but rather because it's effectiveness is limited. "Get up high" is a survival tactic, not a permanent means of prolonged safety. The Construct CAN climb tall man-made structures. The issue is that it's not very easy for him to do so. He's probably getting better at it, but it still can take time. Because lets all recall in a very early Tutorial post, M was hanging out on a rooftop when the Construct found and moved him. That's where he basically reiterated another part of the theory... you never stay in one place for very long. Eventually, he's going to reach you no matter how high up you go if you just stay in the same spot all the time. You're not untouchable up there, just "safer" than you'd be on the ground.

Also, I think by the same measure, just being up high obstructs his vision. Like, maybe he suffers from videogame syndrome the likes of which Half-life tries to combat, where he just never looks up. All the people are on the ground beneath him, right? Why look up? And even then, that man-made artifact is obstructing his gaze, so presumably he might not be able to see you up there, which also leads to the whole "taking longer to find you up there" aspect.


And how does this co-relate to my current situation? I'm not sure. I'm hoping the nature of my environment renders me similarly invisible I guess but... hard to say. Regardless, I know it's not perfect and will probably suffer under the same flaws. So I'll just keep holding my breath for now I guess and stop trying to debunk my own protective strategies. In the meantime, maybe this lovely little spill will help a few of out.

Just remember... M's not Dead.

16 comments:

  1. I've always taken it as "You have to be higher up than Slenderman is". M even explains that the only reason the rule works is because Slendy gets confused when he sees someone taller than him.

    Also... Slenderman having trouble moving trough man-made structures... That makes sense. Lets make that the 4th rule.

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  2. Still not convinced, I'm afraid.

    You are talking about a being who has existed for, most presumably, all time. He has watched mankind evolve. He has watched the progression of horse and wagon to car to airplane. Little huts to skyscrapers. It is not as though He was simply dropped here a few years ago. His Hunt has Always Been and will Ever Be. To be Hunting that long and not evolve yourself along with your prey... well, that violates the first law of nature. And, a part of nature, He most certainly is.

    I believe that you had it correct before. When this approach appears to "work"... more likely than not, the Game has not yet reached its conclusion.

    But what do I know? Perhaps I am lying.

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  3. Don't you love when people are just.. so fucking stupid? I love when you come out and tell them something so obvious, and then..

    Even then they miss the bigger picture, let alone the fine details that actually take intelligence to see.

    For the record, I'll be reading through your blog later to catch up on the things I've missed. Be prepared.. for many, many comments.

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  4. So It's learning....yessssssssssssssss that means devouring it will yield more powers, I'm so excited!!!!

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  5. .....

    -facepalm-

    Gargoyle, love, I would love to hear from you soon. Just so ya know. <3

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  6. @Nightscream: Strictly speaking, there are only records of repeated hauntings every few hundred years. If the monster is somehow "asleep" or otherwise "not here" during the intervening time, it's entirely possible that He could be surprised by technological advancements, especially in the time between now and, say, fourteenth century Germany. He's certainly shown a learning curve in adapting to it, in any case.

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  7. In my experience it's been less that "Get up high" doesn't always work and more that it *rarely ever* works. I've even gone so far as to say that the cases it's seemed to work were Him ignoring His victims because He wasn't done playing with them. I've observed no difficulties with Him navigating man made objects and He has been repeatedly spotted in/on tall buildings. That rule simply does not work.

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  8. Oh I go away for one day, and I miss all the best stuff. Oh, I never do this, but there's just so much I want to respond to, oh I'm going to break habit. But just this once, don't think I'll talk to multiple people this way again.

    Gargoyle: You first I typed out this nice little paragraph disagreeing with you, not about your interpretation of the rule, but about it's effectivness in general. Then I realized I just got back from a superisingly effective safehouse built in a skyscraper, so maybe M was onto something after all.

    North: There are to many rules, and even if M's first rule was correct, the its reasoning was not. The Slender Man is not stupid.

    Nightscream: When a creature has survived through thousands, if not millions, of years, don't you think his perspective of time would be relative to that? He had thousands of years to conqure the hut, and the house for that matter, coubting them as seperate evolutions of arcitechture. But the skyscraper, because of our short lives we forget that the skyscraper is a realitively new introduction to the human race. For one so old is it not impossible to imagin that to Him, the skyscraper is still new, a puzzle or toy he hasn't fully figured out yet. But then, even if he hasn't mastered the skyscraper, it appears he has developed a profeicienicy with it, get up high is hardly the best means for a hunted's escape.

    Dia: My Tide, if you're going to be commenting up and down this blog you'll fill up my inbox again. Just this week I woke up to find twenty new e-mails one morning, courtesy of your commenting around. I'm looking forward to it.

    Aaron: I love the fact that you made that exact comment on a post titled "Missing the Point Entirely.". Frankly I'm a bit disapointed that no one else seems to have picked up on the irony.

    Hakurei Ryuu: Just because we don't have evidence of Him from every time period doesn't mean he wasn't always awake, it took a while before people found evidence of the hauntings we know of, whats to say more evidence won't arise.

    Proxiehunter: Well honestly I don't have a good response for that, it's a pretty good point, but even if He's just following the rule to mess with people, it works for some, they might as well exploit that advantage while they can.

    Whoever posts before me even though I probably started writing this insanely long comment first: Shame on you, shame I say.

    You know what, this is fun, and conveinent, maybe I should start forming my multiple responses this way more often. Nah, I still want people to have to read the whole thing to find the part adressed to them.

    See you around
    - Cage

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  9. @Cage - I started using the direct address bullet-points not so much so that people could find the information relative to themselves fastest, but rather for me to keep track of who I have and haven't commented on yet... Because otherwise I'll just ramble on out of order as things come to mind and miss things completely. XD So it's really more of a reminder than a courtesy for me... Xp

    aaand fuck it, I started with you, I'll do the whole thing backwards...
    I'm glad I don't have to argue any counterpoints from you then, because I'd have to be honest and say I've no idea how it really works. I've only seen one person that I can think of actually trying to test the theory scientifically, so apart from taking M's word on it from a survivalist standpoint, then it's all speculation. But it does seem to work for quite a few people, so this is basically just how I've worked it out in my head. It's the best logical conclusion I can come up with to explain the phenomenon. If I ever get out of here, I'll probably try it out myself just to see how it goes, but I'm not about to rely on it as my only means of protection. That would certainly be stupid.


    Ahh, this bit is aimed more at both Proxyhunter and Nightscream...
    Again, I know the Construct can enter/climb/appear-in tall buildings and the like, as I noted above. But I do think he has trouble with it. What Hakurei said is really probably a better argument than one I could (and am about to) make.

    But you also have to remember a couple of things... Firstly, Age does not equal Intelligence. A 100 year old man can die just as dumb as he was at 10 years old because he never bothered to learn anything. So just because the Construct has been around forever, doesn't mean he's learned everything there is to know about us and our wildly varying cultures. (I mean seriously, have you ever taken an anthropology class? Societies you used to spend so much time learning about in history books Still Exist in this modern age.) We're about as complex and unpredictable as the Construct is, I doubt he knows us as well as we think he does.

    Secondly, when is the last time you saw the Construct use a doorknob? I'm not saying he doesn't know what a doorknob is, but when is the last time he tried using one? Part of learning is putting knowledge to practical application and if the Construct isn't utilizing elements of our world, then he isn't really learning much about how he works. Saying he doesn't know how to traverse buildings very well doesn't seem that far off to me. Especially given that they really aren't his main haunt. He seems much more of a lure you outside to him, then a come in and get you kind of guy, so I doubt he really gets too much exposure to skyscrapers and larger buildings of the like.


    @Aaron - I am imagining your "tragic" death now. It is going to be hilarious and ironic, and I will almost miss you.


    @Dia - "Love" probably isn't the word I would use but... yeah. I guess so. XP

    aaaand okay, will look forward to that I guess. I keep forgetting to really check my email regularly, but since you've given me the heads up, I'll be sure to look there for comment alerts on older posts. Hopefully won't take me too long to reply, assuming I can think of a good response.


    @North - Yeah, but M also kind of assumes that the Construct is really stupid... like, acting on base natural predator instincts... aaaaand I have trouble buying that from time to time. He "could" be right, but... evidence points to the contrary more often than not.


    aaaand Hakurei, I didn't forget you, I just don't have much I can add to what you said... other than what I directed at PH and NS. Thanks for the input though. ^.^

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  10. @The Hope Bearer, I would not but repeat what Proxiehunter said. On another note, however, it is so NICE that you've decided to speak to me. Missed you, darling. I had begun to think you had started viewing my kin and I as no longer human and not worth your time. It hurt. It really did. Truly.

    @Proxiehunter, you really need to change your name. I naturally misspelled it. Besides that, every time I see it I think of Pixie instead of Proxy. Suits some of us, I admit, but certainly not all. In any case... I am highly amused you agree with me. Cheers.

    @Freedomcaged and Gargoyle, you both make very good points, to be sure. However, might I remind you that skyscrapers are not the only wondrous structures with high, complicated layouts that have existed throughout time? Civilizations did not exist in mere huts before our cities exploded into existence. For example, the Sakyamuni Pagoda was built in 1056. The Lincoln Cathedral in 1092. Many churches and castles throughout the age were tall, looming labyrinths of different levels and stairways. Even the Pyramids were complicated in their own way. I'm certain our Father had figured those out eventually. And, in relation, other tall buildings of modern day. I'm afraid this would be why it doesn't make sense of me to say He is mystified.

    Ah, and Gargoyle, I may not have ever seen Him use a doorknob, but I have seen Him inside enough buildings to say He has His own way in. Again, I shall not question.

    Also, my... apologies if I rambled a bit. It has been a long day...

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  11. @Nightscream As I mentioned on my blog I'm hesitant to change my name as a change in a bloggers name is often indicative of or precedes a change in the blogger themselves. Also they can be mistaken for an imposter. So I'm stuck with a misspelling I made while concussed.

    Gargoyle, I've not seen the bastard use a door knob but that may be because it terrifies His victims more to either simply appear on the victims side of the door or to rip the door itself apart.

    And while age does not necessarily equal intelligence I've seen indications that he is at least as intelligent, if not more so, as a decently bright human. Now there have been sightings that showed a more animalistic intelligence, but they're outnumbered by the sightings of smart Slenderman.

    I do have a theory about the differing behaviors that I may touch upon at a later point in blog: what we are seeing is not Slenderman Him/Itself but only a portion of that being that has managed to slip itself through a crack between where ever it comes from and here. Or perhaps projections of a slumbering evil.

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  12. From my experience, entities from other realms have a serious issue with elevations. It's not a matter of up high or down low, it's a matter of rapidly SHIFTING elevations.

    This means that if you suddenly change your elevation rapidly in one direction or another, an entity becomes extremely confused. Over time however, they will get used to the change, and become able to go after you again. The rate at which they become used to it depends on the entity, and how focused they are on you.

    Honestly, the main reason I think Gargoyle is still alive is because of Page Theory. On his page, the monster can't go to his depth?

    I just don't know. Good luck either way, Gargoyle! :D

    @Proxiehunter: Good theory! That's more or less what I think. The reason people do succeed in breaking him is just because they're breaking down projections. Not the real thing. All the entity has to do is project again.

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  13. Anyone that has been subscribed to Gargoyle's posts, I am truly, deeply sorry for the pain your inbox is going to be in. Especially you, Free, because you're probably like me and subscribe to EVERYTHING. So sorry.

    You DID say you were looking forward to it..

    Every page. I think. Has been commented.

    Now to sleep, dear thank god holy jesus.

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  14. The rule is "get up high", but you're not only ON the ground, you're IN it. Somebody didn't think their plan through very well...

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  15. @AmalSage - Interesting. That's a different explanation, but the results are similar. I like it.

    Ahh... and a few weeks ago I might have frowned on that suggestion, but that would have just been me being stubborn. Truth is, the more I think about it, the more my thoughts and opinions do coincide with the process of logic behind Page Theory. And since the theory isn't necessarily Elaine's to begin with, I'm more inclined to listen to it than I had been.


    @Dia - "Every" page? XD Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

    Okay... well, I asked for that. Lets archive dive for a bit.


    @Schadenfreund - Indeed, that is the rule. And I am quite purposely contradicting it, as I have noted elsewhere, as a form of counter-logic working from the same stem of thought. Though I should also note, once again... that this wasn't necessarily my plan. ^.^;

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  16. Hey, look, you rhymed! "M's not Dead!" Was that the point, or am I missing it too?

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