What is the point of dating if you are not dating for marriage or a long-term commitment? How does dating for the sake of dating not lead to inevitable heartbreak?

I [23M] don’t have much dating experience. If we’re being totally real, next to none. Been on a couple dates with girls who’ve asked me out or expressed interest in me. I very very very rarely approach women (trying to work on it, done it maybe like 5 times in my whole life). But that’s not really what I’m here to talk about.

I am very scared of dating. One of the big reasons is the concern that it becomes a serious thing and turns into a long-term relationship with someone. For reasons I can’t get into right now (because they are very bizzare, niche reasons that are hard to explain) it’s not really wise for me to enter into a serious long-term relationship right now because 99.999% chance I will have to break it off (which would obviously be heartbreaking for everyone involved). You’re gonna have to just trust me on that.

But that said, having no dating experience at this age really really sucks. I feel like I’m missing out and I want to experience that kind of intimacy with someone, and not just sex. I know that people these days enter into so-called “situationships” and engage in “casual dating.” My therapist says that I should explore casual dating for the sake of personal development since I want dating experience.

But I don’t understand why people date if they are not trying to get married (or enter some other form of a long-term commitment). Doesn’t that just mean inevitable heartbreak because it’s inevitably going to end? Or counting on your “situationship”/relationship/dating-situation falling apart? I genuinely really want to understand this. Why do people date for the sake of dating? Why do people date knowing it’s going to end and not lead to anything? And is that communicated from the beginning, that it’s going to end eventually? Or just mutually understood. I don’t understand casual dating but I REALLY want to understand.

Most people in and around my age aren’t trying to get married right now. But many of them date. And I don’t know the reasons why. It’s probably due to my lack of experience and other issues why I don’t get it. Any insight is welcome.