Poor people, people of color - especially are much more likely to be found in prison than in institutions of higher education.
What convinces is conviction. Believe in the argument you're advancing. If you don't you're as good as dead. The other person will sense that something isn't there, and no chain of reasoning, no matter how logical or elegant or brilliant, will win your case for you.
My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.