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New research, just announced in the journal Pyschological Science, suggests that happiness is, in part, genetic. The University of Edinburgh study of about 1,000 pairs of twins, identical and not identical, concluded that genes accounted for about 50% of the personality traits that make people happy. (Our relationships, health and jobs contribute the other 50%.)

The study showed that identical twins, who share the same genes, were dramatically more likely to be happy than their non-identical twin counterparts who don’t share the same genes. “This strongly implicates genes” as a key factor in happiness, the study director told Reuters.

By the way, what are those personality traits that keep a smile on their owners’ faces? According to this study: It’s being sociable, stable, hardworking and conscientious. (See, your grandmother was right, if you’re kind and have a strong work ethic, you’ll get more out of life.) Of course, owning a BMW or a high-end fly-fishing rod doesn’t hurt either.