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"Money as the key to happiness? We don't need a scientific study to debunk that notion. But there is a surprising new finding about the top causes of contentment. In a study led by Cameron Anderson, a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, 315 people answered questions about their household income, social standing, personality, and sense of well-being. What most strongly tied in with their satisfaction in life was how much they're respected in their personal networks, such as friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors. Feeling admired by people in these groups gives a sense of belonging and influence that improves one's outlook, Anderson says. Interestingly, attaining high social status isn't necessarily related to being outgoing, and thus being likely to have a wide range of contacts, the study revealed; rather, Anderson says, the key is \\\"to be more selfless than selfish,\\\" making valued contributions and commitments to the people around you.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n#### See Also\\n\\n- [Mood News: Happiness Exercise](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/health/2012/happiness-exercise)\\n\\n\\n- [Mood News: Happiness Strategy](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/health/2012/happiness-strategy)\\n\\n\\n- [Mood News: Shy Socializing](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/health/2012/shy-socializing)"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.allure.com/story/happy-people>