Consider this hypo:
You are now 60 or 65 or maybe even 70, you're slowing down some, but you aren't too infirm to work. You have a fair bit of savings.
Do you:
1) Keep working until you can't work anymore
2) Retire, but live frugally so that you can be sure if you make it past 95 and need skilled nursing care you'll be able to keep private paying for a top notch nursing home.
3) Build out a retirement budget that assumes you won't make it past 95, make the absolute most of the next decade or so of relatively good health (hopefully!)? Go take that trip you and your wife always dreamed. Lavish your adorable grandchildren with gifts that certainly don't need. Fly business class instead of squeezing your old bones into coach.
Keep in mind that if nothing else you'll still have social security no matter how long you live.
Granted this is somewhat exaggerated for effect, but there's a difference between taking the worst case scenario (a funny way of referring to living a long time) into consideration and letting the tail wag the dog.