Universal vs. Ambiguous Metaphors in Interface Icons

Only a tiny minority of icons have achieved true universal recognition without explanatory text:

Truly Universal Icons

• Magnifying Glass: Search
• House: Home page
• Shopping Cart / Bag: E-commerce cart
• Gear / Cog: Settings or preferences

The Danger of Ambiguous Icons

Icons that represent multiple contradictory ideas create cognitive hesitation:

• A Heart: Does it mean 'Like', 'Favorite', or 'Save to Wishlist'?
• Three horizontal lines (Hamburger): Many non-technical demographics still do not recognize this as navigation.
• A Paper plane: Does it mean 'Send Message', 'Share link', or 'Telegram export'?