Leaves, also, are thy children; and leaves, too, are they who cry out as if they were worthy of credit and bestow their praise, or on the contrary curse, or secretly blame and sneer; and leaves, in like manner, are those who shall receive and transmit a man's fame to after-times.
Marcus Aurelius uses the metaphor of leaves to illustrate the fleeting nature of human connections, public opinion, and posthumous fame.
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Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.
But if it is easy to set little value on all these things, turn to that which remains, which is to follow reason and God.
But everything else, whether it is in the power of thy will or not, is only lifeless ashes and smoke.
There is one light of the sun, though it is interrupted by walls, mountains, and other things infinite.
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