From the moment the word "dissident" began to gain international currency and the transnational dissident figure began to have a looping effect on them, Central European opposition intellectuals began reflecting on it, resisting it, but also performing it and using the new source of visible transnational empowerment for their purposes. The chapter reviews the debate around the "dissident" label and then shows examples of performing dissidentism. Finally, the protective effect of transnational recognition is discussed, together with cases in which it did not work—when Central European opposition members were repressed and even killed for their activity.