Innapropriate smiling

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This was a problem for me for years. Did not serve me well in training for the Air Force lol. They were not amused and thought that since I couldn't keep my bearing, I was laughing at them or not taking things seriously. That wasn't the case, but it took years to really stop doing it.

Happens once in a while in conversation. It also happens quite a bit when I'm talking to my gf about serious topics.

The strangest thing happened more recently. A salesgirl came into our office on a call. It was her, a co-worker, and myself. I was talking to her and the co-worker was behind her at one point. He was staring at her intently and back at me. I started to smile every time I noticed him. It was odd. Luckily I don't think the salesgirl really noticed.

I first noticed this happening in 7th grade. I would start to smile awkwardly when it was only me and one other person, and we were walking towards each other in the hallway.

I have caught myself smiling at the wrong time (i.e. in a somber situation, maybe after hearing someone is very sick, or something unfortunate happened to an individual or even at a funeral). I am now very cognizant when I am in such situations – to ensure that I don’t do this.

s**t eating grin
Nerves for me

No... not that I've noticed.

Wait... I actually have had similiar moments. I'm usually always laughing (especially when I have nothing to add to a conversation) and recently I had to shut myself up quick, so the person wouldn't think I was laughing at him when the teacher randomly called on him in class (plus he got the answer wrong).

Then about a few months ago one classmate was going back and forth with another classmate. I was watching the exchange, laughing, only to suddenly see the other classmate wasn't laughing anymore, clearly offended. My reaction was a surprised, "oh", while the other guy apoligized, the offended one ignored us (cold shoulder).

Once I had to correct a classmate who thought I was smiling for no reason. "Nope, grimace", was my spoken response. Big presentation day, printer is being painfully slow, my dress pants are slightly too big (due to weight loss, and no belt), my jacket has caused a lint mess on my black dress shirt which I also didn't have time to iron. Oh, on top of that my group members did not email me their part of our Final Project like they were susposed to (I'm the presentor damnit). Stress...

Overall I don't think it (the topic) happens much to me.

In my new classes I have this one classmate who definitely doesn't seem neurotypical. He kinda has a stutter, his constant jokes are very crude/sarcastic (it doesn't bother me because I understand he's joking), plus he is always laughing. Very loud/obnoxious laugh, sometimes at inappropiate times...

Maybe this is something different but sometimes I start smiling when something I see in real life sets up a connection in my brain to something funny on, for example, a TV show and l recall the orignal gag so vividly that it's as though I'm playing the TV show in my head. I then start grinning over the original joke but for everyone else I'm smiling for no reason. Over the years a number of people have often commented on me doing this.

If I am nervous in a social situation I don't smile - I tend to make my face as blank as possible so people have nothing to pick up on (although I have noticed that I will raise my eyebrows in a placatory gesture)

I do find some of my tendencies strange because for a lot of the time I don't smile. Or change my facial expression at all.