Conscious Facial Manipulation

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I consider my face as akin to an irl emoticon generator: I adjust it to the proper shape in order to convey the intended meaning. I've done this as far back as I can remember. When I was younger, my expressions may have been more exaggerated, as I've learned subtler expressions over the years.

Not all expressions are conscious. Amusement and laughter are usually reflexive. Some expressions I have done enough that they're instinctive, though I'm still mildly conscious of doing them.

I mentioned this to five people, and the ones who I know consider themselves aspie could relate to some degree. The other two did not relate. I concluded that it is probably austism-related and not personality-type-related.
Do you folks have related experience?

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What initiated this current direction of thought was seeing a clip of an old home video of when I was 11. My facial expressions were exaggerated, but it was clear to me what my thought processes had been. Of course, in that case they were more exaggerated than normally because the camera was on me. But as an adult I can behave more naturally even with a camera on me.

I suppose this would be related to learning social expectations/interactions. But apparently I was pretty good at it, 'cause nobody suspected irl - only online.

Also on the topic of home videos: in the earliest one I've seen of me, when I was about 1, I was interested in some rocks an older girl (maybe 8 or 9) was standing on, so [without looking at her] I pushed her aside to get at the rocks. Probably not related. I just found that interesting.

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Some snippets from a friend's response:

I think I noticed...how painfully calculated my whole being is, and how much it drains me as a result.
But it takes a huge leap of faith to just be fully natural. To not smile to jokes when one hopes to see a smile, not sympathise with a frown when someone expects to see your empathic understanding to reflect back. It's terrifying.

Laughter and amusement for me are also reflexive, but almost all other facial expressions are not. I'm afraid that I don't even have the mental process/recognition required to make the over exaggerated emoji faces you talked about. I pretty much keep the same expression all the time, and get frequent comments about why I'm always so angry (which luckily prompts a look of amusement and/or laughter as I explain that I'm not angry at all, that's just the way I look).

Ah, I've seen that called a "resting b***h face."
I've said before that I have the opposite of that: my natural expression looks pleased. And that can have frustrating points too, like if someone is flirting at me: "I know you like it. You're smiling." "Actually you're a boor, and this is my natural expression."

I think it's called Resting A$$hole Face for a guy. I have that issue. Peoeple tend to think I'm just mad when I'm not. I'm usually focused on a task I'm doing or I'm daydreaming.

My suitor thinks my mom looks mad when she's thinking.