What makes you ... C v. L

[the]

What exactly makes a view point conservative or liberal? How do we seemingly intuitively know that a particular stance is a conservative or liberal one?

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Conservative: you have positive feelings (even nostalgic/romantic?) about your culture/society/morals/systems.

Liberal: you have negative feelings (even contemptuous/ashamed?) about your culture/society/morals/systems.

Affection and contempt are virtually impossible to hide for prolonged periods.

 

[sprinkles]

From the thread title I thought you were asking what makes you a light aircraft carrier.

Too much Kancolle. -.-

 

[Oscillation]

Conservative: you have positive feelings (even nostalgic/romantic?) about your culture/society/morals/systems.

Liberal: you have negative feelings (even contemptuous/ashamed?) about your culture/society/morals/systems.

Affection and contempt are virtually impossible to hide for prolonged periods.

Additionally,

Conservative implies to uphold culture/society/morals/systems as they are (or was).
Liberal seeks freedom from the current culture/society/morals/systems.

Hence the words "conservative", from "conserve", and "liberal", from "liberate".

 

[Rcs6r]

What Oscillation said, Conservatives want to preserve or revert* back to previous standards of living, liberals want to change from them. The way I see it, people are liberal until their way of life becomes the norm, then they become conservative.

*Unless we're talking specifically about American conservatism and liberalism, in which case it's more "Christian values" vs sexual freedom and social equality, which answers OP's 2nd question.

Historically, the central themes in American conservatism have included respect for American traditions, support of republicanism and the rule of law, Judeo-Christian values, anti-Communism, advocacy of American exceptionalism and a defense of Western civilization from perceived threats posed by moral relativism, multiculturalism, and postmodern ridicule of traditional culture.

Liberty is a core value, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the free market, and opposition to high taxes and government or labor union encroachment on the entrepreneur.

That last bit is underlined because when coupled with social liberalism, it becomes more centrist and/or Libertarian.