Conservatism is difficult to define because conservatives value tradition over rigid ideology and focus more on opposing change than proposing solutions. Key conservative beliefs include respecting traditions that have stood the test of time, acknowledging human fallibility, favoring social order over individual liberty, and seeing society as a complex organic system not easily improved by human design. Conservative thought incorporates traditions of authoritarian rule focused on obedience to established powers, paternalistic approaches that emphasize social responsibility among elites, and libertarian defenses of free markets and private property rights. Modern tensions exist between social conservatives focused on traditional values and economic libertarians prioritizing individual freedom.