I have to disagree with you in part PrettyBoy41 because pride is important to me: I like to show that I'm worth more than some two-cent whore and that any chick who wants a chance to talk with me better know that first (there are a lot of slutty girls where I'm from).
But I would definitely say this: once you've lost everything and have nothing to lose, you're untouchable, so be proud of who you are but know when to set it aside in order to allow yourself to make mistakes! Besides, I actually take pride in my mistakes; when it comes to the community it's like a battle scar!
So! Moral of the story? Pretend that you've got nothing to lose, because in fact you've got everything to gain!
Here's something I've been experimenting with: pretend the HB that you're talking to has the dentures of a horse or a clowns' nose and start laughing at her inside your head. If you crack a random smile (or you feel that it might show in your body language that you're thinking of something funny), start telling a joke or a funny story so that she thinks that you were thinking of that funny story/joke instead of her new fantasy facial gear.
