"An administrator in a bureaucratic world is a man who can feel big by merging his non-entity in an abstraction. A real person in touch with real things inspires terror in him"

In this quote, Marshall McLuhan is highlighting the power dynamic that exists within a governmental system. The administrator, who holds a position of authority, feels crucial by having the ability to combine their specific identity with the abstract rules and policies of the system. Nevertheless, when experiencing somebody who is in touch with truth and the tangible world, the administrator feels intimidated and scared because they are no longer able to conceal behind the exterior of administration. McLuhan is suggesting that the administrative system can in some cases dehumanize people and remove them from the real world, producing a sense of detachment and disconnection from truth.