Two of possible points of confusion are 1) They are descriptive, not prescriptive and 2) It's important to know which are about status and which are about strategy, since that helps guide where they should be applied.

Curiously some of the most valuable rules are about strategies for navigating status by not getting too much of it. The only law I bother remembering specifically is the first, "Never Outshine the Master". Obvious to me now, but would have been nice to know 15 years ago!