What is flirting but a good conversation with some complimenting and occasional teasing?

I really wish when I was younger people hadn’t put the title of “flirting” on having a fun conversation with people of the opposite sex, and put it on the checklist of getting a date. If people had just said “be yourself and try to have fun”, around all intersections (and not just as cheesy dating advice when talking about the opposite sex) I probably would’ve been a lot more successful in forming relationships in my teenage years.