Is this an autism thing or what?

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So I can kind of make facial expressions. Like, I smile when I'm happy and frown when I'm sad, etc. I can mostly look people in the eye. But I frequently have difficulty controlling my face. Sometimes I smile or raise my eyebrows and random people without knowing why. I literally can't control it.

I also smile a lot even inappropriately. I don't know when frowning is appropriate for certain topics. For example, a guy was telling me how he was experiencing racism. He smiled, so I smiled back because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. (I was mimicking him.) I think he thought that was weird, I didn't mean to be offensive. Sometimes I try to smile and it's too extreme and freaks people out. I can't control it, though. I don't have a good control over my face.

I also space out a lot. I live in my own world and smile or laugh to myself without meaning to. I also can't control this, and for a long time I didn't realize how odd I was coming across to others. I also rant to myself on a day to day basis when I'm alone. I can stop doing it in public, but as soon as I'm alone, I start to speak to myself. It's as though I can't think verbally without expressing it somehow. (Either via speaking or writing.)

This all obviously probably makes me look insane to others. I'm totally sane, I just...can't control my expressions and gestures. It's like I know how to do them, but I don't know how to apply them to the proper social contexts.

I can totally relate.

It makes sense. I got a telling off when I was told about someone who tried to start his car and it caught fire. I gave a laugh as a type of relief? He missunderstood my reaction.

My Dad used to tell me off as I would often laugh as a form of relief when I heard something bad, and he assumed I found the situation funny.

The problem is that I then get upset when I get told off, as it exposes my inadequacy to respond in the acceptable form.

I am usually ok and I don't normally do this. But it can happen and has happened in the past.

Same.

For me it's basically okay until I start freaking out about it. I'm glad you're not freaking out about it.