The Paradox of Symbolic Authority

In order to be experienced as actual, effective authority, it has to remain virtual in the sense of a threat. Father doesn't have to beat you or shout at you and to warn, it's just this look, a threatening look, and you obey. If your father loses his nerves and smacks you, starts to shout and so on, there is always an aspect of something ridiculous, important. There is something over furious, outburst, of a puppet, of a clown in it. This is then one clear example of how symbolic authority, in order to be operative, that's the paradox I want to emphasize, has to remainvirtual. So it's not just it is actual already