Call me controversial, but I truly believe that "How I Met Your Mother" is the best-written sitcom about a group of thirty-somethings living in New York City. (Sorry "Friends")

Not only is the dialogue witty, the characters so developed that even minor characters leave an impression on the audience, but it also has the viewer take away valuable life lessons that apply to real-life situations. It is the perfect coming of age story for any college student or young adult just starting to think about the real world.

One of the many hallmarks of the show is the little theories and dating rules, or in Barney's case 'The Bro Code', that the characters live their lives abiding by. Almost all of them were written for comedic effect and at least three years ago when the show ended, but some gems can actually be applied in real life situations, even in the year 2018.

1. 'The Platinum Rule,' explained in season 3's "The Platinum Rule"

The Rule: Never date someone you will see on a regular basis (example: neighbor, co-worker, doctor)

This is one hundred percent true. If you have ever abruptly run into an ex-significant other anywhere than you know how awkward it is, but imagine having to go through that EVERY DAY. Avoid having to change your entire daily routine by not dating the cute barista at the Starbucks you go to every morning or the co-worker you do a project with every week and maximize your Tinder distance.

2. 'The Mermaid Theory,' explained in season 6's "The Mermaid Theory"

The Rule: Every man or woman has a 'mermaid clock' - the amount of time it takes for you to decide you are attracted to them. The person at first may seem unattractive, or a 'manatee', but as time goes by you see them transform into a seductive 'mermaid'.

You have had it happen before, the pizza delivery man was just another guy until one day amongst the delicious fumes coming off of the pizza you realized how blue his eyes were. This theory furthers the other, more ancient theory, that men and women can never fully be platonic friends. But then it also disputes it by saying the only way to 'un-mermaid' a person is to see them throw up or do something utterly repulsive, thus turning your friend back into a manatee.

Seems crazy, but honestly, it's hard to refute that logic.

3. 'The Freeway Theory,' explained in season 2's "First Time in New York"

The Rule: Relationships are like the freeway, there are certain exits you can take to get out of them. They are,

1) 6 hours (aka one night stand)

2) 4 days

3) 3 weeks

4) 7 months

5) 1.5 years/18 months

6) 18 years

7) Death

While extreme, and pretty morbid this actually holds up pretty decently. Of course, if you're in a relationship the farthest from your mind would be the moment you can get out of it, but the exits right here seem to cause the cleanest break if taken.

4. The Lobster Complex, explained in Season 8's "The Lobster Crawl"

The Rule: You only want something the moment you were told you cannot have them. (Name comes from Robin being told she cannot have seafood after finding out she was allergic, causing an intense craving for lobster)

The classic "you always want what you can't have", yeah the idea of it seems great and fulfilling but in the end, you feel miserable and disgusting afterward. Listen when people tell you no.

5. 'The Dobler-Dahmer Theory,' explained in season 8's "P.S I Love You"

The Rule: That there is a fine line between infatuation and obsession and both parties must be on the same side.

Name stemming from the sweetly romantic Lloyd Dobler in "Say Anything" and the serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, it is completely true. A relationship or hookup will only work if both parties are fully on board (both 'Dahmers'), otherwise, one person sees the other as creepy (a Dahmer). Make sure everything in the relationship is clearly defined before going further to avoid this.

6. 'Revertigo,' explained in season 3's "Sandcastles in the Sand"

The Rule: Once reuniting with someone from your past, you tend to revert back to how you were when you first met them. (ex-lover, classmate, friend)

Ever get back together with some of your high school friends and suddenly use lingo you have not heard yourself use in years? Or maybe you are home from college and suddenly think it will be a good idea to break out your old Juicy Couture hoodie from 2008? It's almost like muscle memory, you do it without even realizing it.

7. 'Girlfriend/ Gremlin Theory,' explained in season 5's "Definitions"

The Rule: To keep a girl (or guy) from being your significant other, you must follow the same guidelines that keep the gremlins from becoming evil.

1. Do not feed them after midnight (no breakfast or lunch)

2. Don't get them wet (don't let them shower at your place)

3. Don't let them see sunlight (never see them during the day)

If you're not looking for anything serious with a person, this also holds up.

8. The Ewok Line, explained in season 7's "Field Trip"

The Rule: If a person does not like the Ewok's from Star Wars, it means they were too old to appreciate how cute they were in "Return of The Jedi". If they like Ewoks, then they were young enough to appreciate them because they reminded them of cute little toys they just grew out of playing with.

This algorithm is used to determine if someone is too old or too young to date. While it's very effective and holds up even in 2018, it's still a little iffy. It involves subtly alerting the other person that you dictate some parts of your life by Star Wars terminology which may or may not work for you.

9. The Lemon Law, explain in season 1's "The Duel"

The Rule: (As seen above) You have from the moment the date starts, five minutes to decide if you will commit to the entire evening. If not, you leave.

This is an actual law, although the actual has nothing to do with dating. it seems pretty inhumane to just dump someone five minutes into meeting them with absolutely no insight into their personality, but 2018 is being regarded as the biggest year for self-love and self-worth. if you do not think this endeavor is worth your time, go find something that is.

10. The Olive Theory, explain in season 1's "Pilot"

The Rule: If you do not like olives, or do, find someone who is your opposite. It means you are a perfect match.

Kind of a silly one if you follow it literally and only focus on the olives, but replace olives with anything. Many couples find that something they do not like their partners do, making them balance each other out perfectly. Note that this only applies to little things like food and hobbies, not big things like kids and drugs.

11. 'The Three-Day Rule,' explained in season 4's "The Three-Day Rule"

The Rule: Waiting three days to call someone after you get their number. Quote by Barney Stinson, "Jesus invented the three days rule by waiting three days between his death and resurrection. If he had only waited one day, a lot of people wouldn't have even heard he died. They'd be all, "Hey Jesus, what up?" and Jesus would probably be like, "What up? I died yesterday!" and they'd be all, "Uh, you look pretty alive to me, dude..." and then Jesus would have to explain how he was resurrected, and how it was a miracle."

This is the ultimate dating rule that everyone knows and have been following for years, some even consider breaking it to be the biggest cause of a failed brief relationship. Although it's 2018 now, there are some exceptions. Ted breaking that rule in season 9 is, after all, how he met the mother.

"How I Met Your Mother" has all 9 seasons streaming on Hulu, I highly recommend you watch it if you haven't already.