What Your Sitting Position Says About You

If you’re one to hold on tightly to the arms of a chair, it might indicate a certain sensitivity. As per website Horizon Times, it says you need a little support and reassurance in order to feel comfortable in your environment. The armrest, as a literal structure that supports you and keeps you in place, is symbolic of that.

The very place in a room where a person decides to sit says as much about them as the actual position they form. If they’re in a business meeting, for instance, it can be good to sit in the corner. According to the website Lifehack, that means they’re not directly facing other people, which could be read as confrontational. Setting down at a diagonal angle from someone else, on the other hand, can help suggest they can be trusted.

As kids, we’re always told to sit up straight in our chairs and to maintain a good posture. That’s because, says Horizon Times, sitting up with our backs straight sends a message to others that we’re confident and strong. Another subtle message this pose transmits is that we can be relied upon because we’re responsible.

Lots of people sit with their knees pointing up and resting to the side. Not everyone knows there’s a name for the position, though. It’s called the sidesaddle, as it’s reminiscent of a horse-rider on the back of their mount with their legs hanging down along the same side. When sitting on furniture, some believe this position says a person is probably quite warmhearted.

This is one of the rarer positions people adopt when sitting on a couch, but it’s not unheard of. The floppy koala, as it’s known, involves laying down along the back of the couch, with one’s hands placed behind the head. Given how odd a position this is, it speaks volumes about people who adopt it. Namely, according to British newspaper the Daily Mail, that they’re quite unusual themselves.

People who recline in their chair could be said to be quite observant. They sit back and take everything around them in, thinking about things carefully. It suggests they have a calm, logical approach to life, and they don’t necessarily act out of impulse: they deal with the madness of everyday life well.

Not quite the same as outright reclining, a slight leaning-back in one’s chair suggests a person is sensitive and quite empathetic, claims website The Delite. He or she is able to read other people’s feelings quite well, and finds those feelings difficult to ignore. Indifference to others isn’t on the cards for backward-leaners.

Those who sit with straightened legs and the bottom of their feet laid out totally flat on the ground beneath are probably quite level-headed in their lives, reckons Horizon Times. They might be intelligent, tidy, and usually arrive where they need to be on time. Such sitters might be a little quiet, but they definitely have the potential to open up when allowed.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan magazine, body language specialist Dr. Lilian Glass claimed leaning back onto your hands as you sit sends off a pretty negative message. It says you can be quite judgmental, apparently. Dr. Glass thinks this because the position makes it seem like you’re just observing everything around you without actually getting involved.

People who ignore a couch and opt, instead, to lay down on the ground might have something of a rebellious nature. As per the Daily Mail, it says they like to act on their own feelings and not according to what other people think. More plainly, though, it could just indicate they find a given couch to be uncomfortable.

People who cross their ankles as they sit tend to give off an air of sophistication. Horizon Times characterizes them as almost regal and cultured, without necessarily coming off as too uppity. It’s not a terribly formal pose, and it shows that a person is pretty much at ease within a given situation.

The tucking leaner position is basically the sitting version of the fetal position many of us adopt in bed. It involves pulling our knees up close to our bodies and tucking our elbows in, as if shutting out the world. It might imply that someone feels stressed, but equally, says the Daily Mail, the opposite might actually be true. People who adopt this sitting position may actually be fairly at ease with life.

People who sit with their hands resting loosely on top of their laps apparently tend to be pretty on top of their feelings. As per Horizon Times, they don’t get disgruntled very easily, and they tend to enjoy their own company. It’s said they’re fairly modest, gentle, and are often full of compassion.

When a person’s two feet and knees are smushed tightly together as they sit, it could be a sign of a creative nature. According to Horizon Times, these people tend to be pretty impulsive and impromptu. This can land them in hot water from time to time, but they usually have the means to right the situation again.

The rule-breaker, as its name suggests, is another sitting position most people tend to shun. Those who do adopt it, though, might look at the world around them in quite a different way to others, contends the Daily Mail. That’s reflected in the topsy-turvy nature of the pose itself, as it’s just like an inversion of a normal position.

Kneeling down can get really quite uncomfortable, so not many people do it for very long. Those who actually do like sitting down this way, though, can be quite assertive and caring, claims Horizon Times. It could even indicate an astute ability to solve problems and show leadership.

If a person is faced with a couch or a bench, pay attention to where they position themselves upon it. This can say a lot about who they are. As per Horizon Times, if they go for the center, for instance, it might mean they’re quite daring and at ease meeting others. Those who are more insular, on the other hand, might opt to sit down at one of the ends.

If you sit with your legs crossed and the knees pointing outward — as if you were meditating — it might show your openness, reckons Horizon Times. It also says you don’t get too wound up by things, and that you’re open to fresh perspectives. The stance shows you’re flexible, whether that’s from an emotional or physical standpoint.

People who tilt forward a little as they sit might have a more curious temperament than most others, claims The Delite. They enjoy getting to know others, and they’re good at proving their worth to those people. On the flip side, they might ask too many questions or act a little bit too affectionately at times.

If you have quite a strong, commanding personality, the Daily Mail suggests you might well adopt the back-seater pose on a couch. This involves sitting up straight on the back of the furniture, lifting yourself higher than anyone else in the room. It’s definitely a way of capturing the attention of everyone around you.

Sitting forward on the edge of a couch has a name: the precise percher. It’s not the most easy-going of positions, as it means your body remains stiff. Your back muscles, in particular, never get the chance to relax. It implies, as per the Daily Mail, that a person is somewhat in a state of unease.

If you’re a natural leader, Lifehack says chances are you’re always going to want to sit at the chair positioned most prominently around a table. All eyes in a room will be on you, and you’ll have the chance to show off your confidence. Shy people, naturally enough, never like taking up this position.

If you sit with your knees rubbing against each other but your feet separate from each other, it gives off a certain charm. Website TipHero suggests you’re probably quite a nice, approachable person, albeit maybe a little immature sometimes. You see the world in a positive light, but sometimes you might ignore issues in your life and let them fester.

When you step onto a bus, train, or other form of public transport, which seat do you tend to pick? A psychologist named Dr. Tom Fawcett has studied people’s seating habits on buses, concluding that it really says a lot about us. Sitting at the front of the vehicle, for instance, says a person plans ahead in their lives. People in the middle of the vehicle tend to be independent in their thinking, while those at the back have a rebellious streak.

Remember the scene in Titanic where Jack draws Rose? If you happen to relax on a couch in the way Kate Winslet did in that moment, it might say a lot about you. According to body language specialist Robert Phipps, it suggests you have a high number of pals and are committed to relaxation when at home.

If you sit at the edge of a sofa, with your feet on the floor and your hands placed upon your knees, the Daily Mail reckons that this definitely says you’re not very relaxed. It looks like you’re ready to bolt back up into a standing position at any moment. This might indicate you have very little free time and are always on call for something.

If you sit with your hands jammed right in the middle of your legs, newspaper The Times of India suggests it means you’re actually quite humble. You make a point of listening to and supporting others, while steering clear of making too many assumptions. It might also indicate a certain degree of shyness, though, and maybe even a lack of confidence.

If you were to see someone sitting down with their hands folded gently over their own lap, what would you think of them? As per Horizon Times, it’s been argued this sort of position gives off a calm and peaceful vibe, and is maybe adopted by more quiet kinds of people. These folk enjoy time on their own, but not at the expense of their loved ones.

Seeing the way a couple sits can speak volumes about their relationship. According to Lifehack, if they like to sit beside one another facing forward, it suggests they have a more-or-less equal relationship where they help each other out. If they face each other when they’re sitting, it might imply there’s competition in the relationship.

If you spread out as wide as you can go when you’re sitting down on some furniture, the Daily Mail says it definitely screams confidence. Still, it might also indicate you have a bit of an issue concentrating on any one thing at a time. Boredom may come easily to people who sit this way.

If you cross your legs, but allow one of them to bounce up and down, what does that say? You might think the movement suggests nerves, but according to Horizon Times that’s not the case at all. On the contrary, it says a person is able to stay calm when the heat is on.

Apparently crossing one’s wrists in a seated position doesn’t send off a great message. Cosmopolitan suggests it could even be read as anger, though in reality the pose might indicate a person is feeling anxious and unsure of themselves. Hiding the wrists in this way is reportedly symbolic of an attempt to cover over vulnerability.

If one closes the legs, keeps them tight together, and then tilts them faintly over to one side, it sends a strong message, claims Horizon Times. Namely, that this person knows what their objectives in life are and they’re set on achieving them. Such an individual could probably be referred to as a perfectionist.

The twisted crosser is up there with the most common sitting positions that can be seen. It’s a relaxed pose, where the legs are crossed and the hands and arms are relaxed. It shows, says the Daily Mail, that such people aren’t in a state of tension, though at the same time they won’t take too long to adapt should something come up.

If you keep your hands clasped tightly on top of your lap as you sit, Horizon Times reckons it gives off a vibe that you’re feeling quite anxious. Having said that, it also suggests you might be a passionate person with lots of emotions. This can be an attractive quality for others, as it can make you seem like a warm individual.

Sofa-hoggers take up about as much space as possible on the couch, as if to dominate it. That doesn’t necessarily reflect their actual nature, though: the Daily Mail’s take is that hoggers can sometimes be a little more muted. In any case, they tend to be pretty satisfied with their lot in life — and the position screams it.

If you cross your legs and keep them still — with no bouncing up and down — it suggests you’re one for drifting off into daytime reveries, as per Horizon Times. You live inside your head a lot, exploring your own imagination on a regular basis. With that comes a strong understanding of your own sense of self and how it works.

By actually making use of an armrest on a chair, it might give off the vibe you’re looking to be steadied by something, as per Cosmopolitan. That might make it seem like you’re insecure, maybe even a little nervous in life. Of course, sometimes it’s just plain comfier to make use of the arms!

Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who has come up with a method for making yourself more powerful in the eyes of others and even yourself. She calls her approach “power posing.” It means exuding confidence in the way you both sit and stand: in short, expansively. She claims doing this actually alters your brain chemistry.

Rigidly crossing your arms when you sit down isn’t a great look, claims Horizon Times. It can make you seem aloof and unfriendly, like the sort of person with whom others don’t want to engage. Arm-crossers might actually be quite confident, but that can be tempered by a certain defensive nature, too.