What Does It Mean to Abstain From the Tree of Knowledge?

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil places the option before humans of either receiving wisdom from God on his terms in his way or reinventing good and evil for themselves. What does it mean practically to make that decision for yourself? How do biblical characters navigate this question? Emma John: I think part of what the tree imagery is so potent is because it can become an icon for almost any scenario where I have a choice to make.