Three faces of conservatism, in order of threat to survival:

1. Neutral: Preserve things as they are.

If it isn't broken; don't fix it. This is a reasonable position regarding an untested proposition.

2. Nostalgic: Preserve things as they were.

Comforting, but staying the same when the world is changing around you is the strategy that has been employed by all extinct species and societies.

3. Nonsensical: Preserve things as I think (wish, believe...) they were.

Relying on incomplete, incorrect, imaginary or insane history of past glories that never were is like rolling infinite dice with infinite spots, all but one of which will kill you.

Well, perhaps 4. Non compos mentis: Making up stories of bogeymen to frighten the population into acceptance of extreme measures against a purported foe.

Tried and true, going back to devils, demons, witches, Commies and now migrants, none of which posed any particular danger to anyone — or in some cases never existed — but make convenient foils for demagogues.