Socrates, the great rational gadfly and midwife, did not reach every conclusion by his own method. He had an inner something, called in places his daimonion, that held him back from taking risky actions.
This daimonion never prompted Socrates to go forth, only to heed caution. The great rationalist had a spirit, the nature of which we will never know. Perhaps it was his unconscious. We tend to call this impulse now intuition.
Socrates interpreted this feeling or spirit in an interesting way. It gave him confidence to take risks and go forward absent the heavy hand biding him to stop. In his Apology, Socrates declared that the absence of his daimonion was a sign that his trial was just, that it was time for him to take leave of his life.
How Socrates found his daimonion we will also never know. Perhaps he trained his mind to listen. If we can attain that state, we never have to fear doing and saying the scary things in life. Our daimonion will protect us and stop us when the true danger arises. Until you hear that voice, live boldly.