Those wanting to learn to read body language would do well to consider how much they already, innately, know about body language. Take a gander at this list of the most common body language gestures and you’ll find that you know more about body language than you thought.

The Most Common Body Language Gestures

Leaning Forward: Let’s start with an extremely simple body language gesture. Leaning forwards is the universal sign of interest. If you’re talking to someone and they lean forward, you know they’re listening to you.

Leg over Chair Arm: A person witting with their leg over a chair arm is showing indifference. When talking to someone, if they do this it means they’re not interested.

Head Shake: Of course, you already know that shaking your head means "no." But did you know that if you speak while shaking your head, your listener is more likely to disagree with you (that’s right; you shake your head, they disagree).

Nodding your Head: Nodding your head is a sign of agreement, but more than this, if while you are the one talking you nod your head, your listener is more likely to agree with you. Weird.

Holding Hands Behind Head: A person holding their hands interlocked behind their head is showing that they feel superior. It’s a classic sign of arrogance. Don’t do this, it will make people dislike you.

Chair Straddling: When people straddle chairs they are showing aggression. They use the front of the chair to protect their own body while they try to dominate a conversation. This definitely is not good social etiquette!

Legs Spread: When a guy stands with his legs spread he is deliberately showing strength and dominance. This is a classic body language gesture used by alleged "alpha males."

Sucking a Pen: Sucking a pen can only mean one thing; insecurity.

Tucking head into Shoulders: Another sign of insecurity and fear, we tuck our head into our shoulders when we feel worried or concerned.

These are some of the most common body language gestures and you likely knew a lot of their meanings already. In other words, you already have an intuitive ability to read people’s body language. Trust your gut instinct when watching people: what your instinct tells you is usually true.