> Try to buy a house ... where you'll be relatively high on the social ladder This is depressing advice, no matter how many empirical studies back it up. I don

> Try to buy a house ... where you'll be relatively high on the social ladder This is depressing advice, no matter how many empirical studies back it up. I don't think I'd want to live around people that were wealthier than I'd ever be, but I would certainly want to live around people that were more energetic, socially outgoing, ambitious, and involved in the community than me. Whatever you value -- you should hang around people that are better at it than you are. If you are a hacker, work with people that are smarter than you. If you want to exercise more, spend time with people who exercise twice as much as you'd like to. Et cetera.