JOMO (joy of missing out): Ayden Sng doesn't conform to what other people want of him

Opposites attract — we've all heard this adage, but local actor Ayden Sng experienced it firsthand on a recent filming trip with Jeremy Chan and Desmond Tan.

The 29-year-old spent six weeks in Malaysia and Thailand filming for the upcoming Channel 8 drama All That Glitters with his fellow actors, and initially joked with local media that he felt like a third wheel when it came to the bromance between the other two.

He recently discussed with AsiaOne about how he got closer to them nevertheless.

"They both told me, 'You're very different from what we expected'," he said. "That is why they said they liked hanging out with me, because of how different my personality was [compared to theirs]." 

In the wake of his newfound friendship, Ayden also had a word of advice for others who feel they are "easily misunderstood" or have difficulty "finding their tribe".

"Some people have RBF (resting b**** face), it's unintentional, and some people are quiet but have an imposing aura," he added. "People can have a bad rap because of the way they are, even if they don't mean anything by it."

Sometimes thought of as being unapproachable — though Ayden admitted he didn't know why — he urged such people to put themselves in environments where they could get to know others.

"Just be confident of who you are, and eventually, people will see you and the good in you," he added.

When it comes to himself, Ayden thinks he has graduated from FOMO, or the fear of missing out, to attaining JOMO — the joy of missing out.

"I love it when I am free to do what I want, and I think that's a good mindset to have," he mused. "You're very confident of what you enjoy and what you don't, and you spend time with people who enjoy spending time with you."

And if there aren't such people?

"Then you're fully confident in spending time by yourself," Ayden concluded. "After a certain point, you don't want to bend yourself and whatever limited time you have to conform to what other people want of you."

'This award can be the best recruitment sign' for fan club

Ayden was not just candid in admitting his JOMO, but hoped his authenticity could come across to his fans as well.

"I always think of a fan club as ideally gathering a bunch of like-minded people who believe in you," he said. "Yes, there are those who are here because they think you're cute, but there are also those who are here because they believe in your values.

[[nid:578182]]

"I'd like to think a lot of people in my fan club are like that, because I try to portray a pretty authentic self online and in my work."

That was the kind of person he wanted to attract to his community too, he added, so they could support one another in times of need and work together to have fun.

And his fan club is doing just that, Ayden said, as they tend to hang out together without him sometimes and "genuinely like spending time with one another".

When it came to winning his first Popularity Award at the Star Awards last month, Ayden said: "I hope that this award can be the best recruitment sign. If you believe in what we believe in and like what you see, then join our community.

"Hopefully we can do more things that are interesting and meaningful together."

ALSO READ: Prawn capital? Ayden Sng shares why some Singaporean men are dubbed 'prawns' by foreigners

drimac@asiaone.com

No part of this story can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.