Yes, this happens a lot on HN. It's pretty common to present a firsthand perspective only to be downvoted without anyone commenting on why they downvoted.
I think that largely, this has to do with the fact that a lot of the site users are heavily invested in their lives (identities?) and aren't looking to be told otherwise.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ― Carl Gustav Jung
Interesting, this hasn't been my experience at all. Non-mainstream views, even if explained and written in a friendly manner, quickly get downvoted, mainstream views, even the most mundane ("bad things are bad") and with the least amount of effort, usually are not.
Jokes apparently don't land well, either.