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that "i before e except after c" rule often gets taken too seriously

Oh I've messed that one up before

i think it's kind of beautiful that weird is a weird word

Isn’t there more exceptions to that rule than there are examples where it’s correct?

Yep, at least on most static word lists.

It's a fun exercise to try and improve the rule by extending it compared to just switching to "E before I".

Only if you forget the final part, “…when it sounds like ‘ee’”.

That’s a recent addendum and is far from universally taught.