I'd say it kept them in denial (The Nile= denial, get it LOL) Sorry, for real though. The civilization of Egypt grew up around an agriculture centered culture made possible by the Nile's flood plains and the water for irrigation.
The Egyptians live their lives centered around the nile. The flooding allowed them fertile land for their agriculture. They had gods dedicated to their harvest, and if they had a poor flood they assumed they had angered their god. The Nile basically sustained their life.
