Rule 01: Don't Get Greedy

According to Andreas Capellanus, the 12th-century French author of 'De Amore,' there are twelve chief rules to courtly love. The somewhat cynical tone to Capellanus's work suggests that his work be taken with a grain of salt, but there is also a good deal of valid information to be gained from reading his ideas. The first chief rule of courtly love is as follows: thou shalt avoid avarice like the deadly pestilence and shalt embrace its opposite. In layman's terms: it's better to give than to receive.