The Junior Warden: Noticing Before You Numb
Download MP3This episode integrates the Junior Warden role through a personal struggle with self-regulation, social pressure, and the habit of “toughing it out.” The focus is on how ignoring internal signals leads to numbing, self-medication, and long-term dysfunction—and how the Junior Warden function restores awareness without collapsing into avoidance.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Social pressure often teaches people to override internal limits.
- Ignoring bodily and emotional signals pushes needs into other behaviors.
- “Toughing it out” can disable the internal feedback systems needed for regulation.
- Noticing discomfort does not automatically mean stopping.
- Some pain can be continued through; some pain requires stopping.
- The Junior Warden role rebuilds access to internal indicators.
- Self-regulation is foundational to meaningful agency and change.
💬 Featured Quotes
- “If there is a role in the craft that I struggle with more than most, it’s probably the junior warden.” (0:00–0:12)
- “A lot of us as men are taught to just tough it out or suffer through.” (0:33–0:42)
- “People have that kind of social pressure to perform past the limits of their ability to sense what’s going on.” (1:04–1:17)
- “All of those knobs and dials internally that might be flashing in the red… just go dark.” (1:29–1:39)
- “Those needs get pushed into other behaviors.” (1:39–1:46)
- “A lot of folks that self-medicate effectively do so because they have lost the ability to understand the nature of the problem they’re experiencing.” (2:12–2:25)
- “They just kind of numb the pain away.” (2:28–2:35)
- “That pain numbing becomes part of a habituated pattern which turns into a long-term addiction.” (2:35–2:46)
- “The junior warden role really requires you to meaningfully begin to notice what those needs are.” (3:31–3:38)
- “It is okay for you to notice it and also to continue.” (4:00–4:07)
- “There are some hurts where the most prudent decision is to stop.” (4:13–4:21)
- “That recharge cycle is a lot more effective than the self-abuse talk of ‘I’m just going to muscle this out.’” (4:32–4:45)
- “You essentially start pushing away a part of the dashboard of indicators that you’re going to need in order to be effective in the world.” (5:00–5:11)
- “This noticing… this mindfulness practice is absolutely vital.” (5:26–5:41)
- Jorge
Creators and Guests
Host
Brian Mattocks
Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D
