Help with clarification on how to read the rulebook: What has priority?

[GeneralVryth]

1) Is this still a relevant ruling in 5e (if it ever was in 3.5, like I said my memory of where I read this is hazy at best).

2) If so, should I take this at face value or are there exceptions to this rule? Are there any common misconceptions about how to handle this rule that I should be aware of?

1. I certainly think specific over general usually applies, though I don't have a reference for it.

2. The general conceit from early in 5e was "Rulings over Rules". Or as I would prefer to say it, "Rules as Guidelines" (RAG). The "Rules as Written" (RAW), have places they are unclear, in conflict, and can result in illogical outcomes. So they are better treated as a set of guidelines to be changed/modified/overruled when they stop working correctly. The important thing is just to have a consistent logic to stick to when making rulings, that's what will keep things from seeming arbitrary.