Dating: What's the Point?

I was shocked to read that anyone thinks of dating more than one person as "essentially practice for divorce." "Anti-daters" believe that every relationship before marriage must involve sexual intimacy, and this simply is not true. I know several couples who, at least to me, seem more committed to each other than some married couples are. However, I do believe that in the case of some couples, one person may view their relationship as disposable, and at the first possible chance, he or she will break up with the other person in order to begin dating someone else. I only think a relationship can be healthy if both people communicate to the other about the level of commitment he or she wants early on in the relationship. However, many people believe that dating helps both people in a relationship to learn much about himself and herself, and I agree with that. Dating a guy who possesses characteristics that you realize you do not want in a boyfriend and then making the decision to break up with him prevents you from dating guys who are wrong for you when you are older, when there may be a stronger commitment involved and more potential for heartbreak. Romantic relationships, sometimes more than friendships, help individuals learn how to respond to the needs of others better and become less selfish people. I think that "anti-daters" have a point, because so many relationships have short life spans in today's society. However, I think that the case is stronger for dating, as I have witnessed several successful dating relationships during my lifetime, such as the relationship of my sister and her fiance, who have been together since they were freshmen in college. Currently, the "hook-up culture" is extremely prevalent on college campuses, and I think that these encounters should not be considered relationships, because relationships require much more commitment. However, as opposed to what "anti-daters" would probably believe, I do not think "hook-ups" are as wrong as they would make them out to be, as long as both people involved have the same expectations for what communication should follow after the "hook-up."