Just generally being anti-AES. What caused me to really take Marxism-Leninism seriously was actually working in an industrial environment, and reading works like Socialism: Utopian and Scientific that ended up making far more sense. It was a combination of proletarianization developing proletarian consciousness, with exposure to dialectical materialism and scientific socialism.

I suggest reading Masses, Elites, and Rebels: The Theory of "Brainwashing" as well as Debate Culture is Bourgeois and Should be Abolished. People do not learn through debate unless they are already willing to change, so if you are not succeeding in convincing someone then you should do your best to convince onlookers. You do this by coming across as rational and level-headed, with good sources. Don't jump to insults, and take no easy and cheap rhetorical wins. Focus on the arguments at hand and get your point across in an easily digestible and concise manner.