De Minimis, You Are Not: The (Self)-Discovery Phase of Life's Trials.

By: Christine E. Ohenewah, J.D. | March 31, 2025

Listen to Audio. Narrated by Christine E. Ohenewah.De Minimis, You Are Not: The (Self)-Discovery Phase of Life's Trials.

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Christine E. Ohenewah is a Lawyer and Public Intellectual in pursuit of empowering minds. She is a former White Collar Investigations Associate and graduate of Cornell Law School, Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and Macalester College. With interests in Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Socio-Legal Theory, Miss Ohenewah is an active writer and commentator whose interdisciplinary work both engages with and challenges traditional perspectives on law, power, and society. She serves as a faculty member at multiple institutions, teaching courses in Law and Ethics, Sociology, and Criminology.

Alright, folks. Exam time.

And no, I could not help myself (call it an irresistible impulse):

A plaintiff knowingly walks into an uncharted forest called the Forest of Life. However, the plaintiff soon finds themselves lost with no foreseeable way out because the forest does not contain any marked trails, nor guideposts that would direct visitors toward safety. The Forest of Life only offers visitors the chance to find themselves and to forge their own paths from within. An ordinance requires charted forests to post visible signs that demarcate all available trails. The plaintiff brings suit against the defendants, the forest keepers, claiming negligence per se and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The keepers deny the plaintiff’s claims and move for summary judgement on the basis that 1) signs had in fact been posted, yet regardless, the statute was not applicable to uncharted forests; and 2) the plaintiff held prior knowledge that the Forest of Life was uncharted and therefore assumed risk. Assuming that the forest keepers prevailed on their motion for summary judgment, which of the following signs, even if not required by ordinance, would have been most compelling for their case?

In other words, which sign likely helped the forest keepers win their legal battle because it made the judge go, “Aww?” (Speaking of judges, do not judge me for this fact pattern, okay, I tried.)

Is it:

A.   De Minimis: Never render yourself small, nor insignificant. This is your life. Define your path and walk it with confidence.

B.    Res Ipsa Loquitur: You, “the thing,” speak for yourself. Always.

C.   Actus Reus: You must take voluntary action toward your own self-discovery.  

D.   Mens Rea: Have intention around all that you do. Be deliberate. Do not recklessly disregard your dreams, goals, and desires.

Surprise! The answer is A. And B. And C. And D. Allow me to explain these answer choices.

First, the plaintiff in the above fact pattern is you. It is me. It is any one of us. There may be moments in your life when your path may not be apparent, nor seamlessly defined. In fact, more often than is comfortable, there may be no charted path at all, for life is a forest of unknowns. There will not always be a roadmap made available to you, nor posted signs telling you where you should go, what you should do, or who you should be. You may have to invent an entirely new path that has never previously existed––one that requires diving into the abyss of your own inner self-discovery.

This being stated, finding your path is not the point. The point is to find yourself. Only then will your true path become undeniably clear, and it will be left to you to choose whether to be safe, sorry, or soaring.

This means refusing to be shy about what you want, who you want to be, and how you choose to be it––whenever and wherever you decide. Yes, this requires your intention in every action you assume and to avoid recklessly disregarding your own dreams, goals, and desires out of fear or comfort. It also means speaking up for yourself by authoring your own narrative. You are your own storyteller and publicist. Others do not get to slander the truth of who you are or who you get to become––your erasure is strictly prohibited. Above all else, never take a de minimis approach toward your own existence and right to self-determine. You are anything but small.

Further take heed: life is unpredictable. This is an undisputed fact. Never mind your ironclad itinerary of pursuits that have been color-coded, Bluebooked, and calendared in Teams. One minute, you are learning the law. The next, you are practicing it. Then, you are teaching it. And soon after, you are redefining yourself in relation to your place in the world, how the world sees you, and what the world expects of you. Through it all, one constant remains: you. You are the one left amidst unanticipated frolics and detours. You are the one subverting superseding causes. Hence, no matter what path you find yourself on at any given moment, it will always be incumbent upon you to honor your core.

None of this presumes ease. All of it is hard. At times, the process is frightening, even when it is rewarding. It can leave you internally disheveled even as you become energetically transformed and liberated. However, you only get this one life to be you. So, lead your own way.

Remain your own powerful constant.

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