Webster’s defines the word Iconoclasm as follows:
1. the practice of destroying images, especially those created for religious veneration.
2. the practice of opposing cherished beliefs or traditional institutions as being founded on error or superstition.
3. the doctrines underlying these practices. — iconoclast, n. — iconoclastic, adj.
It’s odd that the proper definition does not reflect how the word is typically used today. To us, an iconoclast is someone that sees the world differently and acts to make that different world a reality. In other words, it’s someone that possesses a new and fresh perspective on how something works and brings it to life.
Iconoclasts don’t always become legends. In fact, after looking at the definitions of the word, most iconoclasts could be called criminals or villains. How can one word represent two opposing meanings like that?
To me, an iconoclast is a visionary. To me, an iconoclast is someone that can make the world a better place. That’s why I am taking a stand to have the Dictionary definition of the world changed to reflect how we’ve been using it. After all, aren’t there already enough words that represent negativity out there?