Have been off the apps for probably two months now and havent ruled dating out, but it is an afterthought for me for the time being.

When I was on the dating apps, I ran into this dilemma where most people claimed they wanted a long term relationship but would concede at some point in the first or second date that they were dating around and just having fun with it if the topic came up of what they were looking for. I get the sentiment of having fun, otherwise dating would suck and be a chore. I also get the sentiment of trying to find someone you're comparable with for the same reasons. However, what I was hearing from them seems to be a bit contradictory to me.

Wouldn't you naturally be hoping the best came out of your date and see how it plays out (especially if it's going well and you are hitting it off), rather than chatting with several other people at the same time and scheduling several dates in succession?

I'm not trying to come off bitter or whatever when I ask this, it just didn't seem to match what they had described they were looking for. Wondering if this is as common as I found it to be.