Wondering, why did you get married if you were not going to be any children? Even if there were going to be children, why did you get married?
Were you able to do/get anything out of being married to her than that you couldn't if you were not married to her and with her?
Short answer is no, I didn't get anything out of being married that I couldn't have if I wasn't. I was just young and naïve, and figured it was the thing to do. Times were a little different back then (no SoSuave), and while I did understand the risks, I figured that I had stacked the odds in my favor. I screened well, and waited until I was older to marry. The funny thing is, my niece got married when she was 15 and now some 35 years later her marriage is still together. I got married at 33 and it only lasted six years, lol. Oh well.
I do think that the experience of living with a woman is unique and can't be replaced by merely dating. I like having a partner in day to day life. I currently cohabitate with my girlfriend, happily, without having to sign any legal papers with the government. Because when you get married, you're basically signing a contract that empowers the government to come in and redistribute your life, finances, and resources if your relationship doesn't work out. So I agree with you, I can't recommend that men get married.
Now some people say that a woman won't stay with you if you don't put a ring on her finger, because if you won't do it, she'll find someone who will. There may be some truth to that, but the other side of the coin is that if she has high interest in you, she will stick with you under your terms. Of course, how long she remains high interest cannot be counted on, no matter how "alpha" you think you are, which is another reason marriage is a big risk. The other thing to remember is that if a woman doesn't stick with you, it's not the end of the world, especially if you haven't signed that government contract.