Question

Rabbi, what do you say about the modern tendency to overdo and exaggerate in the titles used for rabbis? Meaning, today when referring to a rabbi we apparently have to say “the brilliant Rabbi” at the very least, and sometimes they add things like “the crown of our heads, our mighty stronghold, the great leader, rabbi of the exiles, the divine kabbalist,” and so on and so on and so on. And if, God forbid, I don’t call him that, I’m considered to be insulting his honor. I don’t understand two things: why isn’t “rabbi” enough? And why are we “required” to say all these titles, when in the Talmud itself sometimes we don’t even find the title “Rabbi” at all (for example, Samuel, Abaye, Rava, etc.)? When did this need to say all these titles begin?