Adults over the age of 60 are often depicted by the media as depressed, lonely and grumpy. Of course, old age is associated with physical decline, health issues become more common and memory gets fuzzier. Previously, theories of ageing assumed that emotional experiences would follow a similar pathway towards dysfunction. They were wrong. Recent research has shown that in old age negative emotions (like anger) wane, while positive emotions (like contentment) become more common. Why? Our lives undergo pronounced changes in later life. Work demands are eliminated, there is more time for leisure pursuits, and older people structure their environments in ways that reduce unnecessary stress. Time horizons shrink: people learn to spend their remaining precious time on the things that matter most.