Marriage is not for everyone, and that's fine. However, the fact that this thread exists would suggest that you have at least enough interest in it to want a discussion.
Love is exactly like life in many ways; risk is inherent, and pain inevitable. You're right that you'd damage the one you love; but then, we all do, regardless of our best intentions and efforts. The greater the love, the greater the potential for pain, and therefore the scarier it is. But as I see it, living in fear is much worse than living in love and enduring the pain that will certainly walk hand in hand with it at least some of the time. Some people don't want romance or marriage because they're happy without it; others don't want it because they're afraid of the potential pain involved. Your post indicates that you fall into the second category. To me, fear is a poor reason for action or lack of action, and it cheats many of us out of the heights and depths of joy we could experience if we defy it.
My husband and I come from almost opposite cultures; our marriage has not been particularly peaceful or easy, and although it gets easier as we grow and learn, I doubt it will ever be without severe storms every so often. I have experienced more pain in this relationship than I did in any others, but I have also experienced greater joy and ecstasy than I ever did before. Is it worth it? Well, I would probably answer differently depending on the moment at which you asked. But overall, yes. Even at the worst times, I have never regretted this love, because it has brought me gifts and experiences I could never have had otherwise; shown me new facets of myself and the world around me. It's been a journey of discovery on so many levels.
And as others point out, there are incredibly varied ways to express love and to be in relationships. Each relationship is as unique as the individuals that comprise it, and it must define its own boundaries.
No one would suggest that you *must* have romantic entanglements in order to be happy; but if you choose to avoid them, I would encourage you not to avoid them because of fear. Fear impoverishes the soul too often, leaving nothing in exchange for what it takes away.
