Should You Follow TikTok's Rule Number 5 for Relationships?

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Trend expert Shayan Faraz explains what rule number 5 means on TikTok

Co-authored by Shayan Faraz and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: February 12, 2026 Fact Checked

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Rule Number 5 Meaning

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Origins

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Trend Explained

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Should you follow it?

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Handling New Relationships

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When to Follow It

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Video

Imagine you're watching a TikTok in which a man or a woman is happily reflecting on their new relationship. Then the scene changes, shadows fall over their sad face, and the caption "Rule #5" appears on the screen. What's rule number 5, you wonder, and should you follow it? Never fear, we're here to shed light on this TikTok dating advice trend, with insights from trend expert Shayan Faraz! Keep reading to learn the meaning of rule number 5, its origins, if you should follow it when you're dating, how to handle new relationships in a healthy way, and how following rule number 5 in non-romantic situations could benefit you.

What is Rule Number 5 in relationships on TikTok?

Trend expert Shayan Faraz says rule number 5 is a popular quote on TikTok across various videos and romance edits. It means, “Show no love. Love will get you killed,” which comes from the movie Get Rich or Die Tryin'. In other words, never love someone deeply until you're sure they feel the same depth of love for you.

Section 1 of 6:

Rule Number 5 in Relationships Meaning

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Rule number 5 for relationships is "Show no love. Love will get you killed." This viral guideline for navigating romantic relationships has been popularized by fitness and relationship TikTok creators. It means to avoid being too vulnerable and showing too much love and affection for someone during the first few weeks or months that you're dating. It's based on the fear that if you put your heart on your sleeve too soon, and your relationship fizzles out, your heartbreak will feel even more devastating.
- Rule number 5 can also apply to platonic relationships with friends, family, and business associates. For example, it's good practice to avoid expressing your emotions too freely to your co-workers, since venting to the wrong person could get you in trouble.
- According to Faraz, the rule can also mean, “Never love someone too deeply until you're sure they love you with the same depth, because the depth of your love today is the depth of your wound tomorrow.”^{[1]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Shayan Faraz, also known online as Chum, is a trend expert and TikTok influencer. He has amassed over 35,000 followers, 70 million organic views, and over 7 million likes on his TikTok page @chummertok.

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Rule Number 5 Origins

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Rule number 5 comes from a quote from the movie Get Rich or Die Tryin'. In the 2005 movie about a man's struggle to leave a life of crime, rapper 50 Cent's character, Marcus, listens to the rules of a drug-dealing gang he joined. The fifth and last rule is "Don't show no love. Love will get you killed." In the context of the movie, the rule refers to being careful who you trust in the criminal world. The drug dealer, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, is trying to warn the new members of his gang that if they love someone with bad intentions, that person could turn on them and destroy them.^{[2]
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- It’s not clear who popularized the quote on TikTok, says Faraz. However, “it has gone viral with audiences online for its depth and introspectiveness.”^{[3]
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Rule Number 5 TikTok Trend Explained

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Relationship and fitness influencers repurposed rule number 5 for romance. As far back as 2023, TikTok influencers were posting videos advising their viewers to follow rule number 5 for relationships. Some videos, like this TikTok posted by @dylanruhs in January 2023, use the exact quote from Get Rich or Die Tryin' over a montage of a man working out in a gym. Others, like this TikTok from @elongatedmusk from February 2025, are more subtle. They open with the TikToker in bright lighting, smiling and happy about a new romance. Then the video shifts to shadowy lighting, and the TikToker looks downcast instead of excited. The words "Rule #5" float above them in the shadows.
- The implication in both styles of TikTok is that the creator has (at least in their eyes) loved someone too much, too soon, and has been hurt by a breakup.
- The rule has circulated across various videos and edits in the romance/relationship niche, according to Faraz.^{[4]
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===How Rule Number 5 Works in Relationships===

They'll likely avoid spending all their free time with their partner during the first few weeks or months of their relationship. They'll also avoid responding to all their texts right away. In their eyes, this prevents them from getting used to being available for their partner all the time, in case their relationship fails.
Someone who follows rule number 5 might purposely limit the amount of money they spend on their partner for gifts and dates. They might also avoid planning elaborate outings or introducing them to their family and friends.

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Should you follow Rule Number 5 in your relationship?

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Probably not: rule number 5 makes it hard to build a healthy relationship. It's understandable to want to avoid getting your heart broken. It's also understandable if you're trying to avoid returning to a cycle of dating toxic partners. The problem with rule number 5, though, is that if you don't open up to the person you're dating, they may break up with you because you wouldn't show emotion or vulnerability around them. It also assumes that a breakup is inevitable before the relationship has had a chance to grow. This is a jaded point of view, and if you adopt it, you may find it hard to make your romance last.
- Some people on TikTok broke rule number 5 and are happier for it. For example, in this TikTok by @eldiablo6.7, the caption reads, "She was worth breaking Rule #5," implying that the creator didn't close themselves off emotionally from their partner early on. As a result, they built a good and lasting relationship.

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How to Handle New Relationships in a Healthy Way

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Relationship experts suggest opening up instead of closing off. Dating coach Hayley Quinn says it's better to be as emotionally intimate as you can. "Conversations and dates fail more often because of a lack of intimacy, not because of… too much intimacy," she adds.^{[5]
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Hayley Quinn
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Expert Interview} Ways to be more vulnerable are talking about your past, your feelings, your dreams, and your fears. You can also be physically open by kissing, hugging, and even having sex. That being said, remember to respect the other person's boundaries, as well as your own! Avoid pushing them (or yourself) to do or talk about things that make them uncomfortable.
- For example, if they're hesitant about having sex in the beginning of your relationship, respect their feelings and find less sexual ways to express love and affection, like hugging, kissing, or simply holding hands.
- Be open and positive in your relationship, but don't ignore red flags. Just because you've chosen to love your partner wholeheartedly doesn't mean you should ignore it when they engage in toxic behavior. This goes for new and old relationships!
- Be aware of how much effort you're investing in your relationship vs your partner. Obviously, you should make your partner feel loved! But if time passes and you're planning all the dates, initiating all the intimacy, starting all the conversations, etc., it might be time to reassess if your partner feels as deeply about you as you do about them.

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When to Follow Rule Number 5

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You don't want to bare your soul to everyone, and in many cases, you shouldn't! For example, you may want to set emotional boundaries with toxic family members, people you've just met, or strangers. Stick to this rule in professional settings, like your workplace, and during business negotiations, as well. For example, it's not usually a good idea to vent about your feelings or your personal life to your boss or a potential client.