Chen Meng (méng), people of my generation may not be familiar with him, but those influenced by him are certainly aware, such as: Chai Jing, Cui Yongyuan, Bai Yansong...
One phrase he often says is "Do not forget why you set out because you have come too far." The first time I heard this phrase was perhaps in a magazine during my middle school years. Recently, I have seen this phrase again in several places.
First, a former Smartisan designer, Nod, mentioned that the "Smartisan Notes" icon had this phrase written on it. He said this phrase was told to him by Luo Yonghao, and he felt a strong resonance, so he wrote it on the icon.
Second, I heard this phrase from Chen Meng's mouth in Chai Jing's "Seeing."
Chai Jing was once taught by Chen Meng, and since Chai Jing knows Luo Yonghao, it is highly likely that this phrase originated from Chen Meng, but it is said that he quoted it from Kahlil Gibran, although I have not found the source.
Do not forget why you set out because you have come too far—having principles, having a 初心，having ability, Chen Meng is such a person. He often asks young directors: Do you have your own coordinate system for viewing things? This question struck me profoundly.
Not just for program directors, but as ordinary people, do you have your own coordinate system for viewing things? That is, your own way of thinking. Do you view things in a simple and one-sided manner, or do you follow the crowd, or even give up thinking and let them instill ideas? I have found that in the AI era, the phenomenon of giving up thinking is becoming increasingly common.
When everyone's lens is focused on big figures, he chooses to turn around and seek ordinary people: telling the stories of the common people. I think this is his most remarkable quality; he chooses to be people-oriented, allowing ordinary people to also become a part of history, rather than just pointing the lens at the upper class.
The programs he founded all have a very high reputation and ratings. However, a person like him and his programs find it difficult to integrate with the environment he is in. The 2007 news channel reform reflected this point, as a director of "Social Records," Peng Yuanwen, described the situation of the program at that time: to advance is to be assimilated by the system; to retreat is to be marginalized by the system. In this dilemma, on January 31, 2008, "Social Records" was canceled.
Eleven months later, Chen Meng passed away from stomach cancer.
Like his programs, he seems to be unwelcome here.
His departure is a huge loss for the television industry, but if he were still alive, it seems difficult to change anything.
(Reflections on Chen Meng's quote "Do not forget why you set out because you have come too far")