For Thales, the idea that water is the fundamental substance wasn’t random but based on careful observation. In his time, water stood out as essential for life, growth, and change—think of how rain nourishes crops or how rivers shape landscapes. This made water a compelling candidate to explain the underlying unity of nature. Thales was exploring natural patterns through what we now call an early scientific approach. Although modern science has a more complex understanding of matter, his reasoning reflects the human desire to make sense of the world using available observations and logic.