The problem with distortions and screwy thinking is that whatever we believe, is, for us, true! I sometimes use screwy thinking in the opposite direction to help me out

When I think someone I've just met in a group (or most/all the people in this new group) doesn't like me or will probably hurt me, I'm able to do the opposite and remind myself that nobody knows me yet (and likewise, me, them) so they can't possibly not like me enough to want to hurt me the way I fear. I haven't given them enough ammunition yet (besides my looks). I take it even further, and realize that if they have already decided they don't like me (perhaps because of my looks), then they are obviously the ones with the problem and since I don't know them well yet, I likewise don't "care" about them enough to care about what they think/feel. If they're ignorant enough to decide my being overweight or "ugly" by their standards matters, then I don't want to be around them anyway.

I have a funny looking logo I once put on a resume and sent out and my reasoning was that if people who got my resume weren't amused and wanting to get to know this quirky person (me) better then I didn't want to work for them! So, I used my resume to pre-screen the applicants fighting for the priviledge of having Me work for them.