They tried to talk it through, think about it from a rational point of view. And to get a flavor of that, here's a quote. True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. So unlike many ancient societies that just tried to explain everything through the metaphysical or through the gods, here you have Socrates saying no, an ideal, true wisdom is when you appreciate how little we know, this form of intellectual humility. Now Socrates lived during this golden age of Athens, a time when democracy was flourishing, the age of Pericles. But he himself was a little bit skeptical of unfettered or pure democracy. He was worried, well, what if the people voting aren't educated to make the types of decisions?