Yes, you heard me! Before you enter an agreed-upon monogamous relationship, do yourself a favor and play the field. Because here's what's most likely to happen if you don't: You meet someone you really like, you go out with them again, things escalate, and then—bam—they either pull away, ghost, or tell you they're not looking for something serious. Now you're crushed because you're emotionally invested in them—but they haven't invested at all in you. When you're even the slightest attached to a person, the disappointment stings. Spare yourself the hurt by putting a metaphorical egg in several lds singles
I like to tell my clients not to let dates go on for more than 90 minutes. Why? That's enough time to get to know the person on a surface level and (hopefully) feel a spark, but not long enough that your brain starts getting carried away with the excitement of the potential. Dinner dates that spontaneously turn into a five-hour bar crawl or movie night can be incredibly fun, but they can also leave you in a state of confusion and despair if nothing develops from the marathon outing afterward.
If, that is, indeed what you want. There's nothing to be gained by hiding the fact that you're ultimately looking for your forever person, but there's a lot you can lose by it. For one, your emotional sanity when the person you've been dating digs their heels in keeping things casual, and two, a lot (sometimes a LOT) of time.
If you're worried that telling a potential partner you want a relationship (in general, not necessarily with them) because you think it'll scare them off or make you seem desperate, let go of that idea. Anyone who bails when you're honest about your intentions isn't someone who would stick around in the long run, anyway, so you're doing yourself a solid.