"The noble title of "dissident" must be earned rather than claimed; it connotes sacrifice and risk rather than mere disagreement, and it has been consecrated by many exemplary and courageous men and women" (Page 1)
The dictionary definition for dissident is "someone who dissents", which means that a dissident is someone who goes against the majority with their opinion, especially important public figures - which is what I am assuming Christopher Hitchens did. He mentioned in the preface an example of what some reviewers would say about him, "Hitchens, whose previous targets have even included Mother Teresa and Princess Diana as well as Bill Clinton" (Preface) Hitchens is saying that the title "dissident" is noble as if it is a good thing . His mindset must see past the anger and disgust of critics, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's just very confident in his opinions and finds pride in disagreement.
I can also agree with Hitchens when he admits, "I attack and criticize people myself, I have no right to expect lenience in return." (Preface) While most people dish the criticism but can't handle being served, Hitchens understands how the world goes 'round. As we all should, he knows how society works, therefore does that make it okay for all of us to criticize?
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