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Why do you take it as bragging?

People on HN can afford it because they get paid a lot. It’s pretty simple.

It's a classic thing people interject when it isn't relevant.

You nearly cannot discuss housing costs in Florida or Indiana on the internet without someone from SF feeling the urgent need to say "lol that would get me a cardboard box where I live".

Why they feel the need? I don't know.

I think a large part of it is just venting. Not necessarily bragging.

Because when you flaunt that you can afford something objectively expensive, it's called bragging.

It fits the definition of the word, so it's taken as such. Not sure what's confusing you.

Are people flaunting, or are they participating in a discussion about affordability of housing while you interpret them as flaunting? I only ask this because I've rarely seen people here outright flaunt/brag in the original sense of those words.

There's a difference between:

"Doesn't matter to me, I can afford it lol, sucks for people who can't."

and

"I pay X for housing and get paid Y in salary and that's why living here makes sense for me."

I've never seen the latter even once.

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