What makes you a true patriot?

The willingness to dehumanise and disparage the inhabitants of other countries, simply because they are other countries.
The unwillingness to see flaws in your own country, especially admitting that other countries do it better.
The belief that your own country and its inhabitants are inherently superior to any other country and their inhabitants.
The eagerness to slaughter the inhabitants of other countries as soon as the order is given.

By being thankful for what you have, why you have it and respecting those who died so that you could. By calling out political bullshit when you see it. (we don’t often do this enough). A patriotic person does not confuse patriotism with nationalism and is not afraid to stand up and protest when bad things are done in the name of our country. (also not done enough)

Flying a flag is one possible example, but it’s nothing more than a symbol.

A true patron is a person who does more than hoisting a flag – it’s someone who works (and sometimes sacrifices) for his country.

There is not one single definition.

A willingness to give your own life in defense of your own country’s brand of bullshit.

spoiler alert: this is true of every country

Patriotism is just silly.

It is just another word for nationalism.

Being grateful for what one is getting from society and trying to actively contribute and participate is great.

Being unconditionally proud of anything and particularly of something that isn’t one’s own merit and opening the door to all @ragingloli wrote above isn’t.

I believe that true patriotism has nothing to do with showing the flag. It is in your heart. It is a love of this country and an honoring of the original ideals on which it was founded. It is jealously guarding our liberties and legal protections, and honoring freedom and equality.

I don’t think you can conclude anything about someone flying a flag off their porch.

For some of them it’s a trivial extra outward expression of their real and substantial commitment to making the country prosperous and secure.

For many hanging a flag is as patriotic as they actually ever get – i.e. it don’t mean shit.

To paraphrase many of the other insightful answers above, there is much much more to loving one’s country than just saying you do.