Malaysians prove their foolishness, lining up in the rain to buy a dessert

SOMETIMES WE look at an exceedingly long beeline to an outlet or shop and wonder. What compels people to trade their time, a priceless resource, for a product or service?

Marketers know the answer, and it comes with only four letters—FOMO (fear of missing out). At its core, FOMO is the uneasy feeling that others are gaining an experience, opportunity, or advantage that you are not. 

This makes it a potent psychological trigger, nudging people to make purchases they might otherwise delay or avoid. 

The power of FOMO is best illustrated in a recent video post on X, where customers could be seen lining up in the rain just to buy a trending dessert.

It is hard to believe it until we see it. Any sane mind could tell that no desert, no matter how delicious, will justify a long queue in the heavy rain.

Netizens who follow the story have much to say about it too in the comment section. 

Take for example @AltheaVomba who said these people might die from diabetes someday if they don’t die from being struck by lightning.

“It is one thing to line up to buy sweet desserts. Shortly later a lot of people will get a fever for standing in the rain. No wonder the Ministry Of Health is stressed out,” said netizen @_reramaaa.

The topic then took on a sexist tone where @bitcoinmalaya claimed that most of those lining up were in fact women. “Only they are the ones who FOMO,” added @mhmmdhsm. 

Perhaps the best comment went to @edenweill who spotted a lady with a baby stroller in the video.

Imagine subjecting one’s child to the cold and wet just to get a hold of a dessert. 

While we will find a good deal of irrationality in this video, FOMO-driven spending isn’t always irrational.

Sometimes it helps people seize genuinely valuable opportunities—early investments, discounted deals, or once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

But more often, it leads to unnecessary purchases, buyer’s remorse, and financial strain.

Recognising FOMO is the first step to managing it. Pausing before a purchase, questioning whether the urgency is real, and distinguishing between desire and need can help break the cycle.

In a world built to constantly signal what we might be missing, the real advantage lies in knowing when it’s perfectly fine to miss out.

Lining up in the heavy rain, and braving the threat of lightning, is one of those things the wise will pass along. — Focus Malaysia