Does being able to cook suck?

I know a lot of people consider cooking to be like an important skill for survival/romance/being a decent human being. But I’ve always thought cooking is a lot of work & time & money & effort for something that will literally never last forever. I don’t like eating leftovers so I always have to cook a new meal or get takeout. I’m not trying to be lazy I just don’t get why cooking’s important when it doesn’t last. On the other hand I’ve had my friends tell me that their dates have gone very well because they have a nice meal.