There are numerous examples of symbolic castration, some of which, amazingly enough, may even make you wince. In the 60's there was a nightclub in Paris where each male patron was made to sing. I can recall that as a schoolboy the threat of flashing scissor blades at chest-level was just as effective a form of intimidation as telling one's adversary that he could look forward to a good beating at morning recess. Note that one walk of life immune from this vulnerability is the catholic clergy. Their garb is traditionally tieless, thus unmistakably alluding to their sexual denial and purity.
Further examples abound of the emasculation that a man has to be on the watch for.
An extra twist to this is when your partner has the gall to wear one of your own sacred ties. We are constantly living close to the edge, with our lives just a short, sharp tug away, making life that little bit more exciting. Psycho-babble also extends to the magical significance of the tie. Short of warding off evil, the tie can be seen as the evolution of the necklace of shark's teeth or the proverbial rabbit's paw. Let's face it, there has to be something mystical about the whole tie culture, as there are few other more credible explanations for it.