> I assumed their were implying it was anecdotal and obviously not a generalizable, objective truth.
"I think I'm old enough now to confidently say that, yes: Happiness really does start from within."
If I had said, "I've lived in enough places to conclude that southern California is really the best place" would you read that as me making a universal claim or simply relaying my subjective determination?
As I already stated, I read the OP as if the latter. Despite the often pedantic nature of HN, there's a lot of room for nuance and interpretation human communication.
That depends. If you had prefaced your remarks in the following way, then I would read it as making a universal claim.
"Bluntly, every person I know who's expressed these kinds of sentiments is guilty of the same mistake: [living outside southern California]."
We are probably reading their comment somewhat differently. Because of the way they couched their statement as rooted in their personal experience, I assumed their were implying it was anecdotal and obviously not a generalizable, objective truth.