I have an aversion to superlatives. The ink of skepticism would smear if used in excess to polish any figure, whether of wax or flesh.
Magnus (great), Major (greater), Majuscule (even greater), Maximus (very great): a trough of superlatives where subaltern minds lap up the threads with which they servilely weave ‘Majesty’ for a superior who has forgotten the fable of the Fox and the Crow.
Respect, or even admiration, need never become obsequiousness. It does no service to lock one’s leader in the illusion of an infallibility that does not exist in this world. The skeptic remains doubtful watching the antics of licensed flatterers—the zeal of bootlicking, compulsive acquiescence, and superlatives standing at attention.
Small-time opportunists once had the idea of offering a paid service for indiscriminate flattery: for a handful of dollars, one could hire someone to call the person to be adored and tell them how extraordinary, formidable, exceptional, unique, and brilliant they are.
While the filters of private secretaries or cabinet directors might prevent these telephoned praises from reaching the ears of Chiefs, Ministers, the Prime Minister, or the President, the era of AI has changed things. Now capable of adopting human tones and even feigning empathy, the most narcissistic individuals could order an anthem to their own intrinsic beauty and unrecognized intelligence without the artificial agent having any scruples or qualms.
Anyone served with ‘Mega-this’ and ‘Mega-that’ ad nauseam inevitably ends up ‘Mega-lo’ (megalomaniacal). A country, especially one in its current state of physical decay and moral ruin, needs its leaders to maintain the lucidity of their own infinite smallness in the face of the magnitude of their service.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-14 05:38:54 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/aversion-pour-les-superlatifs.html